About Us
Junior Achievement of Arizona is an education solutions provider dedicated to accelerating opportunity and expanding pathways to economic mobility for young people across our state. Each year, we reach more than 150,000 learners through experiences that connect education to the real world and help students build the skills, confidence, and networks needed for future success.
Supported by nearly 9,000 business and community volunteers annually, our programs foster financial literacy, career readiness, and entrepreneurial thinking through hands-on learning and meaningful industry connections.
Junior Achievement of Arizona is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Tempe, with an additional office in Tucson serving Southern Arizona. As a member of Junior Achievement USA, we collaborate with educators, businesses, and community partners statewide to help prepare Arizona’s future workforce.
OUR MISSION
To prepare Arizona learners, K-25, to succeed in work and life
WHAT INSPIRES US
Education should open doors to opportunity. But for many young people, there’s still a disconnect between what they learn in school and the skills, experiences, and networks needed to thrive in today’s economy.
We’re working to close that gap. By bringing together educators, volunteers, businesses, and communities, we help students connect learning to life, build confidence in their futures, and develop the skills needed for long-term success. When young people have access to opportunity, Arizona’s workforce, economy, and communities all benefit.
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of JA Alumni report JA played an important role in their belief they could achieve their goals
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of JA alumni report that JA was a great experience overall
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of JA alumni say JA exposed them to new ways of thinking
Who We Serve
Junior Achievement is committed to promoting a brighter future for Arizona’s kids. Our innovative programs allow us to reach over 150,000 primarily low-income students annually. We serve students from all different geographic areas of Arizona, ranging from rural, suburban, urban, and tribal communities.
JA HISTORY
Junior Achievement was founded in 1919 by Theodore Vail, president of American Telephone & Telegraph; Horace Moses, president of Strathmore Paper Co.; and Senator Murray Crane of Massachusetts. They wanted to teach kids about business and how the United States economy functioned. The first JA program, The Company Program, was offered to high school students after school. Under the guidance of business mentors, students set up their own businesses and then manufactured and sold products and services.
In 1957, JA came west to Arizona, launching its first office in Tucson. In 1975, JA entered the classroom and gradually began offering programs at all grade levels, kindergarten through high school, expanding the curriculum to encompass financial literacy and career readiness education, in addition to the entrepreneurship training.
In 2001, JA launched the experiential program JA BizTown® at its current headquarters in Tempe, and then JA Finance Park® in 2009. In the following years, the organization added additional experiential and in-classroom programs that now reach 150,000 AZ students each year. Thanks to the support of local individuals, foundations and businesses, JA has served more than
3 million students in its 65+ year history.
KEEP UP WITH JA
A Disconnect Between Education and Economic Outcomes? What Education Leaders Think.
The Disconnect Research by Junior Achievement and Basinait Insights conducted in March of 2026 shows that more than 90 percent…
From Learning to Earning: How Skills Build the Foundation for Economic Growth
For today’s students, the journey from learning to earning is more complex than ever before. A rapidly evolving economy shaped…