About JA

Junior Achievement of Middle America has been educating K-12 students about entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy since 1955.

In 1955, Kenneth A. Spencer founded Junior Achievement in Kansas City, which began with the JA High School program involving 255 students and 40 volunteers. By the 1983-84 school year, the numbers had grown to 2,120 students and 423 volunteers along with an additional 1,119 students and 146 volunteers in its outlying operations. Throughout the years we have grown and in school year 2010-11 we will engage over 12,000 students in Junior Achievement of Middle America programs.