New Brand, Same Mission

Junior Achievement is the largest organization in the world dedicated to youth empowerment. We’ve been serving communities in more than 100 offices across the U.S. and more than 200 offices across the globe for a century. Our mission of inspiring and preparing the next generation reaches beyond our focuses of entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial literacy; it drives us to foster the mindsets and skills that will enable a generation to thrive.

At a local level, Junior Achievement of Georgia has made substantial progress across our state in the past ten years. We’ve launched five JA Discovery Centers and more than a dozen 3DE Schools, serving more than 120,000 Georgia students a year.

We are intently focused on continuing that expansion and impact, and we now have a new brand identity that will guide us into that future. Our new logo, vision statement and messaging will reach far beyond Georgia – it modernizes and empowers our impactful brand across the globe.

Our logo has evolved since our inception in 1919, and our current logo has been in use since 1986. The new logo takes elements of JA’s original soaring bird and transforms it into a flock, with similar angles from the triangle logo and resonances of the kite logo. JA’s brand symbol honors our long and impactful history while moving us into the future.

While our look and feel is different, our commitment to the next generation is not. Together with the education and business communities, our volunteers and supporters across the state, we will continue to shift mindsets and provide opportunities that open students’ minds to all their futures can hold.

JA Discovery Center of Greater Dalton Opens & Welcomes First Students

We celebrated the grand opening of the JA Discovery Center of Greater Dalton in early March, and we welcomed the first students into the beautiful space the week after!

This new hybrid facility, the fourth JA Discovery Center in the state of Georgia, will serve more than 13,000 students throughout the northwest Georgia region. It’s located on the campus of Hammond Creek Middle School.

Middle school students from Dalton Public Schools, Calhoun City Schools, Gordon County Schools, Murray County Schools and Whitfield County Schools will all experience the in-class curriculum and simulation experiences of JA BizTown and JA Finance Park. The goal is to provide every child, no matter their background, the opportunity to develop skills to become financially independent and responsible.

Students from Dalton Middle School work in Georgia United Credit Union storefront.

This project was made possible through the partnership with Dalton Public Schools, lead sponsor Engineered Floors, and the following local and regional partners: Alliant Health Plans, Chick-fil-A Northwest Georgia Operators, City of Dalton, Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia, Dalton State College, Dalton Utilities OptiLink, Dorsett Industries, Engineered Floors, First Bank of Dalton, Ford of Dalton, Georgia Northwestern Technical College, Georgia Power, Georgia United Credit Union, Hamilton Healthcare System, Marketing Alliance Group, Mercedes-Benz USA, Shaw Industries, Starr Mathews, Textile, Rubber and Chemical Company, and United Way of Northwest Georgia.

A student from Christian Heritage School is sworn in as Mayor of JA BizTown.

After decades of programming in the northwest Georgia region, we are thrilled to have this experiential physical space and to offer this premier experience to our students.

The impact of these experiences go far beyond their day with us. Students are exposed to careers they may have never heard of and get a glimpse of adulthood that stays with them. Their time at JA Discovery Centers helps them understand the connection between education and their futures in a way that becomes real for them.

We are so excited for our students to have access to this facility. To be able to discover things they’ve never imagined, and to see what those discoveries lead to. Together, as a community, we’re empowering the next generation to thrive.

JA BizTown taught us to vote, how to handle finances, how to organize a business, how to market and advertise, and how to save money. All of you were very helpful while we were handling our business. Thank you for allowing us to come to the Discovery Center to learn about business and finance! - Student, Christian Heritage School

Dalton Middle School students working in Ford of Dalton.

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To find out how to get involved, please reach out to Anna Adamson at aadamson@georgia.ja.org.

Junior Achievement of Georgia Breaks Ground on New JA Colonial Group Discovery Center of Savannah

Facility to impact 15,000 Coastal Empire students annually in partnership with local companies and school districts

Savannah, GA – Junior Achievement (JA) of Georgia ceremoniously broke ground on the new JA Colonial Group Discovery Center of Savannah on Friday, February 19. The event signified the start of the renovation and retrofitting of 25,000 square feet of space on Georgia Southern University’s Armstrong campus. Together with presenting partners Colonial Oil, Inc. and Georgia Southern University, JA welcomed supporters and partners for a look at the existing space and how it will evolve in the coming months to begin serving students this fall.

“It’s this space that’s going to transform the lives of 15,000 middle school students a year throughout the whole costal region,” said Camille Russo, Vice President, Marketing, JA of Georgia. “It’s going to transform them by exposing and immersing them in financial literacy, entrepreneurship and career readiness, and by allowing them to really experience what their future could look like.”

 JA Discovery Centers blend key components of education to create state-of-the-art learning facilities where students apply concepts they learn in the classroom in a 360-degree authentic and experiential experience. Upon arrival students become a part of a simulated version of their hometown within the JA BizTown® and JA Finance Park® programs. Then students work alongside their peers and adult volunteers as they develop a greater understanding of financial concepts, build 21st century skills, and foster their entrepreneurial spirit.

 “There is tremendous alignment between the missions of our organizations,” said Dr. Kyle Marrero, President, Georgia Southern University. “This gives us the opportunity to work every day for the betterment of our own organizations, but also to develop the next generation of leaders who will shape our communities, inspire innovation, create solutions and impact countless others.”

 The facility will have representation from various local and national businesses –Georgia United Credit Union, Publix, South State Bank, Thomas & Hutton, and United Way of the Coastal Empire have committed to date – that will provide students a glimpse into possible career paths, as well as an opportunity to be an employee of the business for the day.

 “We’ve been avid supporters of JA’s mission over the years, due in large part to the alignment of our missions,” said Christian Demere, CEO, Colonial Group, Inc. “I think the businesses in Savannah are beneficiaries of their work with our students because these are the people that will become the employees, leaders and contributors in our community. We are very excited for this opportunity to further that mission and strengthen the foundation JA is cultivating in our youth.”

 Currently JA Discovery Centers serve more than 88,000 students a year across three locations - the JA Chick-fil-A Foundation Discovery Center in Altanta, the JA Discovery Center at Gwinnett and the Mike and Lynn Cottrell JA Discovery Center at North Georgia in Cumming. The fourth facility, in Dalton, is under construction and will open in 2021, bringing the total impact to more than a third of middle school students in Georgia.

 To find out more about getting involved, please contact Camille Russo at crusso@georgia.ja.org or 912-344-5440.