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June 2024

JA MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

Incoming JA USA CEO Jack Harris Visits West Michigan

Jack Harris will become the CEO of Junior Achievement USA starting July 1st, as our current President & CEO Jack Kosakowski retires after a 50-year career with Junior Achievement.


Jack travelled from Atlanta, GA to tour the Huizenga Family Free Enterprise Center and to meet the JA staff and board. We got to hear about his career at Junior Achievement so far, why he's passionate about the mission, and why he believes JA is especially relevant and necessary to our world today and into the future.


Special thanks to SpartanNash for sponsoring breakfast and lunch during Jack’s visit.

Event Highlights

Thanks to all who came out to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the JA Free Enterprise Golf Invitational at Egypt Valley Country Club!


Tons of great prizes were won through the raffle and contests throughout the event, including the coveted Pebble Beach Golf Trip, won by Jon Husby! Special thanks to all of our foursomes and event sponsors, and our Presenting Sponsor, Delta Dental, for helping make this event possible.

What a great day of golf at the Muskegon Country Club for the RL Adams Plastics 2024 JA Lakeshore Golf Scramble!


The day was filled with an 18-hole scramble, prizes, food, and fundraising for Junior Achievement along with live and online auctions! Special thanks to our major sponsors for helping make this event possible, including our Title Sponsor RL Adams Plastics and Presenting Sponsor, EQI.

What a great year in JA BizTown and successful pilot of JA Finance Park!
We encourage you to sign up for the 2024-2025 school year for either the Tom Fox Family JA BizTown® or Karl & Susan Hascall JA Finance Park®.

The Tom Fox Family JA BizTown® is a fully interactive town that simulates the day-to-day functions of a thriving community, 5th and 6th grade students become both producers and consumers, responsible for running businesses, managing money, fundraising, advertising, voting, and more!

After a series of in-class sessions, students apply for jobs and then come to JA BizTown to experience running the town!

The Karl & Susan Hascall JA Finance Park® is Junior Achievement’s capstone program for personal financial planning and career exploration. This program helps students build a foundation on which they can make intelligent financial decisions that last a lifetime, including decisions related to income, expenses, savings, budgeting and credit.

This educator-led classroom curriculum culminates with a visit to JA Finance Park, a real-world simulation where students put into practice what they’ve learned by developing a personal budget. This program meets the State of Michigan’s new financial literacy curriculum requirements for high school students.

Request a date for your school to participate in a capstone program!
Request a Date
Upcoming Events

The Susan Hascall 2024 Spring JA Movie Premiere is a family-friendly fundraising event where kids and their families attend a newly released movie while enjoying popcorn, door prizes, raffle, and trivia!


This is a great opportunity for kids to be involved in fundraising for a local cause!


Movie Feature: Inside Out 2

When: Saturday, June 15, 2024 at 9:00 AM

Where: Celebration Cinema Grand Rapids North


Event sponsors help make this event possible! With a wide variety of sponsorship opportunities to choose from, get involved by sponsoring this event.

Get Tickets

Save the date for the 2024 JA West Michigan Business Hall of Fame to honor a league of outstanding individuals with this signature lifetime achievement award. This event recognizes the achievements of our area's most accomplished leaders and celebrates the impact they have had on our local economy, communities, and quality of life.


The Hall of Fame also plays a critical role for JA students. The event brings students to the table alongside hundreds of business leaders – giving them a uniquely powerful glimpse into what’s possible for their own future. It’s a critical step in the JA journey that equips and empowers young people to pursue the opportunities that matter most to them.


When: Monday, October 21, 2024

Time: 6:15 Receptions | 7:15 Dinner and Program

Where: Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park


Tables and Sponsorships are available to support the success of this event!

Learn More
We are Sponsoring and Presenting at the MCEE West Michigan Personal Finance Summer Conference at Kent ISD
On June 18th, we will be at Kent ISD showing educators how Junior Achievement helps students fill the new personal finance graduation requirement.

At this event, there will be six industry professionals to teach personal finance content followed by expert teachers to demonstrate pedagogical best practices to help attendees become a master Personal Finance educator. 
Learn More
Career Opportunities at JA

Join the JA team! Offering a welcoming culture, a positive and flexible work environment, training, and a brand-new state-of-the-art facility in Grand Rapids. Check out the latest opportunities below and click on the job title to learn more about applying:


District Director - Traverse City, MI

Oversee operations, manage staff members, and guide the delivery of JAMGL programming, ensuring organizational and financial objectives are achieved.


Development Director - Holland, MI

With your sales mindset and enthusiasm for business development, you’ll work to leverage your networking skills to represent the organization in the community and cultivate, steward, and secure support for Junior Achievement’s mission.


Program Coordinator - Positions in Battle Creek/Kalamazoo and Traverse City

Ensure the seamless operation of our educational programs, working with volunteers, local businesses, educators, and school personnel, facilitating the delivery of our programs to help fulfill the state of Michigan financial literacy school credit requirement.



Interested in working with us?

Link to apply online provided on each job listed above or send cover letter, salary history, and resume to:

Junior Achievement Human Resources

4090 Lake Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546

or email to misti.beaudette@ja.org. No phone calls please.

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