Our latest news!

The juniors at Austin High School are wrapping up their third year with the innovative 3DE instructional model! As the inaugural cohort of 3DE students in Houston, they have tackled 16 real business case scenarios from prominent companies such as Accenture, UPS, and Quanta Services and equipped them with invaluable critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

In 1999, JA of Southeast Texas launched the second JA BizTown (then Exchange City) facility in the United States. Since then, nearly half a million students have participated in JA’s marquee learning experiences. We want to continue providing those invaluable opportunities for students, and with the Phillips 66 | JA Discovery Center, that will now be possible.

Last Friday, students, and staff of Kelso Elementary, along with parents and Junior Achievement staff, gathered to celebrate this year's student leaders.

Recently, Joe Thompson, Executive Vice President of Truist Financial Corporation, along with Karen Dixon and Victoria Rixon, visited the JA Capstone facility to see JA BizTown’s version of Truist Bank in action. The Truist Foundation awarded Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas a grant of $500,000 to support our mission and help prepare young people to succeed in a global economy.

JA Finance Park mobile is on the road teaching teens about the importance of managing money in real-world scenarios. This highly experiential program helps students understand the principles of budgeting and making smart financial decisions early in life.

This fall, the Players’ Coalition announced a $30,000 donation to Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas. These funds will be utilized to replace outdated technology in JA Finance Park. JA Finance Park is a deeper learning experience that includes classroom-based curriculum that culminates in a hands-on simulation.

Recently, JA USA received the updated JA Alumni survey report conducted by Ipsos. If unfamiliar with Ipsos, they are a global leader in market research. During their study, they looked at three areas:

• Education and Career Path
• Confidence with Money
• Business Ownership

In partnership with Houston ISD, we are excited to expand the roster of 3DE schools. Sterling and Wisdom High Schools will join Austin and Waltrip High Schools in implementing the 3DE instructional model next year.

If you haven’t noticed yet, Junior Achievement has had an update! After 36 years, JA Worldwide and JA USA decided it was time for a new look. Through an engagement with BrandPie, a London- and New York-based brand consultancy, JA worldwide spent more than a year listening to staff, alumni, board members, volunteers, teachers, funders, and students, who set the groundwork for our modernized brand.

The JA Company Program thrived this year, as our schools gradually began transitioning to in-person business meetings and special events. We had an intense competition and special events roster, with our own home-grown competitions and events running parallel to regional, state level, and international competitions...

After another successful year of delivering JA Capstone Programs to students across the greater Houston area, we want to extend a heartfelt thanks to our sponsors that made it possible!

JA BizTown is a four 1/2-hour program with organized or unorganized chaos (depending on the day). This highly experiential, impactful JA Capstone program for elementary school students is one that volunteers, educators, and students always enjoy attending. It’s also filled with reminders that simple human interaction can go a long way.