Volunteers are integral to our success at JA of Georgia. As we kickoff a week of celebrating and recognizing their impact on our organization, let's start with the basics. Where do our volunteers come from and how many of them are there?

As you can see, not only do we work with an incredible amount of volunteers, but we also work with a diversity of sources.

Volunteers who spend a day, and often numerous days throughout the year, with students at a JA Discovery Center are more than your average ‘feel-good’ volunteer. They coach groups of students through the simulations, but they don’t stop at just helping them check off their to-do lists. They give advice, help foster innovative thinking, and emphasize the importance of communication, collaboration and goal setting.

Throughout all of that, they share their own experiences. Things that worked for them, things that didn’t. Lessons they learned through their successes as well as failures, and wisdom they’ve received that has stood the test of time. It’s this personal connection that helps bring the experience to life for the students. They have the opportunity to hear from an adult other than a parent or teacher, often times about careers and situations they may have never
considered before now.

Over the next few days, we'll share stories and insights from our volunteers that demonstrate just how important, and rewarding, their impact is.