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Junior Achievement is Graduating into a New Facility Summer 2021!
By Megan Sturges Stanfield
Community Involvement
Graduation season is upon us. Celebrations heralding the end of the academic year still look a little different in 2021. But whether schools, teachers, and families honor students in-person or remotely, commencement ceremonies hold an important place in the lives of young people. The JA kids you have inspired this year are embarking on the next step of their...
It’s important for kids to see community members involved in education.
By Erika O'Shea
Community Involvement
Katie Dearing creates a thriving economy in her third-grade classroom with the help of Junior Achievement. The educator, and Junior Achievement alumni, has guided young minds at Oak Park-Carpenter Elementary in the Shawnee Mission school district for six...
JA Champions Provide Kids Hope For Their Future
By Megan Sturges Stanfield
Community Involvement
Looking around Kansas City, it is easy to see that spring is finally here. Redbud trees are blooming, the grass is an especially vibrant shade of green, and the unpredictable Midwest weather is gifting us with a few gorgeous sunny days along with our normal April...
My students got to see a representation of reality and of Kansas City.
By Erika O'Shea
Community Involvement
Joy Jackson, an eighth grade Communication Arts Teacher at Oakhill Day School, is bringing the Junior Achievement tradition from her childhood to her own students. The past year has been a test on Miss Joy’s ability to adapt as a teacher. She recalled what drew her to teaching in the first place,...
Celebrating Women's History Month
By Megan Sturges Stanfield
Community Involvement
I have spent time in recent days reflecting on the women who came before me. The ones who took to the streets to secure the right to vote. The ones who persevered as the first female representative in their field. The ones who advocated for my right to open bank accounts, access credit, and have the same financial opportunities as...
"Give your time, your talent, or your finances. Whichever one you can, at whatever time you can. That is everybody's responsibility."
By Erika O'Shea
Community Involvement
Mina Glenn, Project Manager at H&R Block, is a testament to the power of relationships and perseverance. She is determined to leverage her success to elevate the community around her. After graduating high school in Manhattan, Kansas, Mina dove straight into building a career following the footsteps of family...
Calling all JA Champions!
By Megan Sturges Stanfield
Community Involvement
Carter Godwin Woodson: father of Black history. Frederick McKinley Jones: transportation logistics revolutionary. Marc Regis Hannah: computer graphics pioneer. Mary McLeod Bethune: passionate education advocate. In a word – TRAILBLAZERS.
February is Black History Month, and I am proud to seize this moment to recognize the accomplishments of these, and many other, history makers. During the past...
"Junior Achievement helped me be unafraid of entrepreneurship."
By Erika O'Shea
Community Involvement
Caroline Milton: Small Business Owner. It is not a title this JA Alum ever expected to claim. But life has a way of surprising...
JA Champions are the Light in the Futures of Young People
By Megan Sturges Stanfield
Community Involvement
"Will 2020 ever end?" I’m sure you, like me, had this thought more than once in the past twelve months.
Though the struggles and divides brought to the forefront by the events of the past year have not disappeared, still the arrival of 2021 is something I have looked forward to. Milestones in the calendar bring opportunities for reflection and for turning over a new...
"I aim to be a trailblazer."
By Erika O'Shea
Community Involvement
Stanton Parker II is on a mission to live a purpose-filled life. In the past year, the up-and-coming Advisory Senior at Ernst & Young has sought to maximize the time and energy he puts into to the world. Stanton...