Junior Achievement Receives the 2010 Samaritan Institute Award

By srobbins | March 18, 2010

Junior Achievement –Rocky Mountain has received the 2010 Samaritan Institute Award from the Colorado Ethics in Business Alliance (CEBA). The Samaritan Institute Award recognizes the top ethical role model in the non-profit sector.

“Businesses today have a double bottom line; social good plus financial returns,” states Junior Achievement President and CEO, Robin Wise, “at Junior Achievement we believe that paving a path for our young people to this understanding is essential to tomorrow’s success.”

Seven other non-profits were finalists for the award, including The Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation, YMCA of Metro Denver, AlloSource, The Children’s Hospital, The Jefferson Foundation, Bridgeway and the Daniels Fund.

“These honorees exhibit all the qualities we look for in ethical role models from sustainability and community involvement to personal integrity and high ethical standards,” says Stephen Weinstein, president of CEBA’s Board of Directors.

Teams of students from the University of Denver, Daniels School of Business and the University of Colorado, Denver conducted research and interviewed finalists and presented their findings to an independent selection committee that determined the award winner.

Since its formation in 1991, CEBA’s prestigious award program has recognized more than 83 Coloradans and businesses as outstanding role models for ethical business practices and leadership. Robin Wise points out the importance of CEBA and the significance that the award carries, “it’s critical that we pass the message along to our students that they have a duty to be trustworthy and truthful. Why? Because tomorrow truly does reside in the mind of today’s child.”

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Help JA win $50,000!!!

By srobbins | March 15, 2010

Pepsi is giving away millions to fund great ideas and YOU can help JA-Rocky Mountain win $50,000 by going to www.refresheverything.com and voting every day during the month of March. These funds will be used to send 50 low income students to our summer business program, JA Business Week. Click here or go to www.refresheverything.com and type “ja” in the search field. Three ideas will come up, so make sure you vote for JA-Rocky Mountain. Once you vote you can help us spread the word by sending this opportunity to your friends and family via Facebook and Twitter!

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JA’s President and CEO in the Classroom

By Gregg Moss | March 12, 2010

Robin Wise Junior Achievement President and CEO PhotoMore than 3,500 volunteers will participate in Junior Achievement classrooms this year and count among them the president and CEO of JA, Robin Wise. Robin is teaching the high school program – “JA Success Skills.” Here’s what she has to say about her experience.

“I just got back from teaching my fourth session of JA Success Skills to a class of juniors at South High School. I LOVE it, and absolutely have a blast with the students each week. I have to admit that having never taught this particular JA program before I was a bit nervous. In fact, I told the students how I was feeling during my first visit — they laughed. Come to think of it they laugh at a lot of stuff I say, but that’s part of what makes this experience so much fun! “My kids”, as I have sometimes refer to them, have come to the United States from 14 countries like Ethiopia, Congo, Eritrea (which I learned is a country that is bordered by Sudan and Ethiopia), Russia, Mexico, Vietnam and Algeria to name a few. No matter what their background, the language of possibility is the same, and that’s why together we experience so many possibilities.”

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Teen Careers Poll: Boys Motivated by Higher Salary; Girls Self-Motivated

By Gregg Moss | March 10, 2010

As the number of women surpasses men in the workforce, a recent Junior Achievement(JA)-ING poll found striking differences in the opinions of teenage boys and girls when it comes to what motivates them to excel on the job and that tools they consider important in determining career success.

Motivation to succeed stems from very different places for boys and girls.  The JA-ING poll found that fewer girls than boys said they needed perks such as a promotion and raise (girls 38%, boys 56%), to excel on the job.  When asked if they needed additional motivation to succeed, 40% of girls responded that they did not, while only 22% of boys said they needed no extra motivation.

As women start to outnumber men in the workforce, taking a look at what careers boys and girls aspire to can provide insight on whether this new workplace balance is here to stay.  Girls are choosing careers that are and will continue to be in high demand — 20% of girls want to be doctors versus only 9% of boys.  The poll finds that girls are selecting those jobs which tend to be more in demand, which should further tilt the employment scales in their favor.  For a full survey abstract, visit:  http://ja.org/files/polls/kids_careers_2010-JA-ING-Teens-and-Career-Poll.pdf.

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Accenture named Junior Achievement extreme partnership award Recipient

By Gregg Moss | March 9, 2010

Junior Achievement – Rocky Mountain announced today that the prestigious JA Worldwide® Extreme Partnership Award goes to Accenture, the global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, and the Accenture Foundation. Accenture has a long-standing relationship with Junior Achievement, involving funding, board participation and volunteer activity.

The annual JA Extreme Partnership Award was created to recognize one JA Worldwide board company that has made a significant, strategic, global impact on all levels of the organization for at least three consecutive years. Minimum support in each year must include international funding of US$1 million, 1,000 volunteers and board leadership in at least 10 Junior Achievement locations around the world, in addition to the board of JA Worldwide.

“Junior Achievement values its partnership with Accenture. The engagement of Accenture volunteers and board members promotes JA’s outreach and program goals,” said Robin Wise, president and CEO of JA Rocky Mountain. “Accenture’s pro bono work locally has helped us achieve our goal of reaching 95,000 students in Denver, Northern Colorado and Wyoming.”

In 2008-09, Accenture supplied worldwide program support that included more than 1,000 volunteers (classroom volunteers, pro bono service providers and board members) and funding and in-kind donations exceeding $2.6 million. It provided $617,000 in funding to 31 local JA Member offices around the world, and employees served on 24 local JA boards.

“In this fast-changing world, skills are a key driver of economic empowerment,” said Todd Dunbar with the local office of Accenture and a JA board member. ”We are proud to work with Junior Achievement to help young people learn the skills they need to build confidence and capabilities that will, ultimately, help open doors to employment and independence.”

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