MassMutual Approves $25,000 Challenge Grant to JA

March 03, 2008

[Springfield, MA] Recently Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) presented Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts with a check for $12,500 one-half of a $25,000 Challenge Grant to support JA’s Making an Impact on Springfield Project. The project is an intense program focusing on bringing JA programs to students in to Springfield high schools: Central High and Sci-Tech. Students will not only participate in JA Economics for Success but also in JA Job Shadow and be offered JA Success Skills as part of an after-school club. The anticipated outcome is to provide JA programs to targeted grades and students, providing them with not one opportunity to participate in JA but several, reinforcing the link between “learning and earning.” JA programs focus on seven key content areas: business, economics, citizenship, entrepreneurship, ethics/character, financial literacy and career development.

The Challenge Grant will provide an additional $12,500 to JA if Junior Achievement is able to raise and additional $57,815 prior to July 31, 2008. JA’s Making an Impact on Springfield has the potential to provide JA programming for more than 700 high school youth as well as 400 elementary school youth through the JA High School Heroes Program. The High School Heroes Program was developed by JA Program Manager, Rebecca MacGregor and provides student with JA Success Skills and then four hours of JA Volunteer training. Once the High School Heroes have completed the JA Volunteer training they are ready to present JA elementary grade programs. In January, 22 students from Cedric Cunningham’s Career Development class at Central High School presented JA programs to all of the students at Mary Lynch School. The program starts up again in mid-March at Central with another elementary school JA in A day scheduled for mid-May.

For more information about Junior Achievement and how you can help us meet the challenge, please contact (413) 747-7670 or visit us at the web at www.jawm.org.

About Junior Achievement

Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to educating young people about business, economics and free enterprise. Through a dedicated volunteer network, JA provides in-school and after-school programs for students in grades K-12. JA offers educational programs that focus on seven key content areas: business, citizenship, economics, entrepreneurship, ethics/character, financial literacy, and career development. Today more than Junior Achievement Worldwide reaches almost seven million students in 98 countries. For more information, visit http://www,jawm.org .