Volunteer Appreciation Week 2021

We’ve spent this week celebrating and appreciating our fantastic volunteers!

Volunteers have long been the ‘secret sauce’ for JA. As an organization that has been impacting students for more than a century, we’ve had our share of challenges and successes. Regardless of the economic or social climate, volunteers have remained integral to our mission.

When we think about being able to change the way a student thinks about their future, a central element to that are the adults that are able to connect with them and share their own life experience to help guide them.

To all who have volunteered with us through the years: thank you! We couldn’t deliver on our mission without your passion.

As we look to a more ‘normal’ future: we need you more than ever! Your time with our students makes a difference, and we depend on you to help the learning come to life. The world has undergone incredible shifts in the past year, and who there’s no one better to help our students navigate a changing society than passionate adults who have been through it before them.

GE, Truist Financial Corporation and UPS Honored by Junior Achievement with a U.S. President's Volunteer Service Award

Volunteers provided students with critical mentoring and positive role models

Atlanta, GA – Junior Achievement USA® (JA) today announced that it will honor GE, Truist Financial Corporation and UPS as 2019-2020 U.S. President's Volunteer Service Award recipients in appreciation of their valued partnership and support despite the limitations on volunteerism due to the pandemic. Truist Financial Corporation will receive a Gold award, and GE and UPS will receive Bronze awards. The U.S. President's Volunteer Service Award will be presented to 50 organizations at a virtual awards ceremony and celebration presented by American Express on February 3rd at 2 pm ET.

In 2003, President George W. Bush established the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation (the Council) to recognize the valuable contributions volunteers make in communities and encourage more people to serve. The Council created the President's Volunteer Service Award program as a way to thank and honor individuals who, by their demonstrated commitment and example, inspire others to engage in volunteer service. In 2006, Junior Achievement became an official certifying organization for this award, which recognizes corporations with a U.S. presence that provide volunteers to teach JA programs anywhere in the world.

"Junior Achievement volunteers are important mentors for young people, bringing our programs to life. Our volunteers share their experiences and skills with students while at our JA Discovery Centers and with our 3DE students, providing an example of what their future success could look like. Our partnerships with GE, Truist Financial Corporation and UPS are integral to our organization’s success and are a vital part of our mission," said John Hancock, President and CEO, JA of Georgia.

“Junior Achievement volunteers help build communities by empowering the next generation’s success,” said Allison Dukes, Chair, JA of Georgia Board of Directors, and CFO & Senior Managing Director, Invesco Ltd. "JA could not exist without the dedication of its volunteers. We are grateful for this opportunity to recognize their invaluable support."

Junior Achievement’s kindergarten through high school programs are delivered across the country by a network of nearly 152,000 volunteers, including 14,000 in Georgia. JA programs provide innovative, hands-on work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy education to more than 170,000 students in the state each year.

The complete list of recipients can be found here.

Retired Chick-fil-A, Inc. Chief Council Lynn Chastain Honored for Impact and Commitment

Chastain to receive Junior Achievement Gold Leadership Award for more than a decade of service to Junior Achievement of Georgia

ATLANTA– Junior Achievement (JA) of Georgia announced today that Lynn Chastain, retired Chief Council, Chick-fil-A, Inc., has received the JA Gold Leadership Award. Chastain currently serves on the JA of Georgia Executive Committee and formerly served as Chair of the Board of Directors.

 “Lynn is so deserving of this award, and we are incredibly proud and honored that she is one of this year’s recipients,’ said John Hancock, President and CEO, JA of Georgia. “Lynn’s dedication to our mission has resulted in an incredible impact on the students of our state, and we are so fortunate to have her insight and passion.”

This award is the highest recognition bestowed by Junior Achievement USA and is presented to JA volunteers who have gone above and beyond in their dedication to deliver JA programs in their communities, and may also dedicate their valuable time to serving on local JA boards. This year’s eight recipients from across the nation contribute a variety of ideals including creativity, effectiveness and drive, but most importantly, a deep a commitment the future of our next generation.

Chastain’s involvement with JA of Georgia began in 2002 as the lead for Chick-fil-A volunteer efforts, and she has served on the Board of Directors since 2008, spearheading the group as Board Chair from 2017-2019. She has been one of the organization’s most prominent and important thought leaders over the past decade, a time in which the organization saw tremendous change and growth. Student numbers, contact hours, board size, staff size and budget all increased tremendously during the time of Lynn’s active service.

More importantly, the organization’s change initiatives refocused the mission and brand during that time. Lynn has overseen the creation of four capstone centers and the launch of 3DE Schools by Junior Achievement, and along the way has been a tireless advocate for this work. She has also been a steady voice for excellence in these new operational models and insisted on building long-term plans to ensure sustainability.

Chastain is deeply committed to people; their education, their advancement and their dignity. This is seen in the way she led the Legal Team at Chick-fil-A and certainly in the way she led at JA. From interactions with fellow directors, to members of the staff to the students served, Chastain led with humility and integrity. She works from a servant mindset and is all about promoting growth and opportunity for all.

Chastain will be recognized for this achievement on March 25 at the annual JA USA Volunteer Summit.