Kitchener, ON – May 3rd. At the virtual JA Personal Finance Event, Junior Achievement South Western Ontario was pleased to recognize a $151,600 Grow grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to expand the reach of their financial literacy programs to high school students in Waterloo Region and Wellington.

“JA South Western Ontario offers programs that help young people develop skills and knowledge to support their financial independence and enhance their economic wellbeing. It is encouraging to see this Grow grant was able to support the successful development and delivery of its Personal Finance programs for high school students. Congratulations on the receipt of this grant and your continued success!” said Catherine Fife, MPP for Waterloo.

JA South Western Ontario received the Grow grant in 2020 to support the expansion of its Personal Finance programs, which help high school students develop skills such as budgeting, saving, investing, and understanding credit. These skills are essential for navigating the complex financial landscape of today’s world and building a strong financial foundation for the future. With support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, JA South Western Ontario has been able to expand the reach of these essential programs significantly, and has helped 1,875 youth throughout Waterloo and Wellington achieve greater financial independence.

“This grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation will have a substantial impact on the future of local students and our community,” said Karen Gallant, President and CEO of JA South Western Ontario. “Ensuring our young people are prepared with tools for financial health will help keep them out of the cycle of debt and allow them to contribute back to society in a meaningful way.”

JA South Western Ontario is a non-profit organization whose mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. Their work bridges the gap between education and the real world by delivering specialized programs both in school and after school in the areas of financial health, entrepreneurship, and work readiness. For more information about JA South Western Ontario, please visit their website at www.jaswo.org.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations celebrates 40 years of grantmaking in Ontario and making a lasting impact in communities. Last year, OTF invested nearly $209M into 2,042 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund. Visit otf.ca to learn more.

Junior Achievement (JA) South Western Ontario is excited to announce this year’s inductees into the 2023 Waterloo Region Entrepreneur Hall of Fame.

This year’s Hall of Fame will honour Don Bowman, Dave Caputo, Tom Donnelly, Marc Morin, and Brad Siim co-founders of Sandvine, as well as Joseph Fung, founder of TribeHR, Kiite and Uvaro.

All six inductees will be honoured at the 11^th Annual Waterloo Region Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Gala on May 31st, 2023 at Bingemans Conference Centre.

The Waterloo Region Entrepreneur Hall of Fame supports the work of JA South Western Ontario, which provides local students with relevant hands-on learning in financial health, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. It was created to honour exceptional entrepreneurs in Waterloo Region’s business community, past and present, for their outstanding contributions to business, entrepreneurship and philanthropy.

This signature gala event showcases the entrepreneurial journey of the inductees, allowing attendees to learn about their achievements and how they have developed and nurtured their legacies. The 2023 Waterloo Region Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Inductees will be joining a distinguished group of well-known business leaders, including Carl Dare (Dare Foods), Joseph Seagram (Seagram and Sons Limited), Alan Quarry (Quarry), Carol Leaman (Axonify) and many others.  For a full listing please visit  https://jaswo.org/ehof.

“We’re very excited to celebrate this year’s Entrepreneur Hall of Fame inductees.  Waterloo Region has a long history of entrepreneurship, and this year’s class of inductees reinforces this.  Many of the inductees have founded multiple companies, inspiring other entrepreneurs and creating a legacy for our community as a result” said Karen Gallant, President & CEO of JA South Western Ontario.  “To highlight and celebrate their collective achievements and impact is inspiring.”

Tickets to the event are $1,200 for a corporate table or $150 per ticket for individuals. For tickets and sponsorship information, visit https://jaswo.org/ehof/.

High school students from across Chatham-Kent got the chance to explore career options and meet with industry mentors on Wednesday morning.

The JA World of Choices event at the John D. Bradley Centre hosted 180 students from different schools in Chatham-Kent. They heard from five different mentors to gain first-hand insight into career options, benefits, and challenges in a number of industries.

“We have about 25 or so mentors from a variety of different industries and we’re having small group discussions,” said JA South Western Ontario President and CEO Karen Gallant. “The students got a chance to speak to five different mentors and learn about those careers in a round-table discussion setting.”

During the event, JA South Western Ontario acknowledged receiving a grant of $154,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to expand the reach of their financial literacy programs to Grade 7-12 students in Chatham-Kent.

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he JA World of Choices event at the John D. Bradley Centre on Wednesday, April 5, 2023. (Photo by Millar Hill)

Secondary school students from across Chatham-Kent received an up-close and personal look at some of their career options during the JA (Junior Achievement) World of Choices event recently.

The event, held at the John D. Bradley Centre, attracted 180 students who had the opportunity to speak directly with members of the Chatham-Kent business, government, social services and non-profit sectors.

“You can feel the excitement in the room,” said Karen Gallant, JA’s president and CEO of Southwestern Ontario. “The students are more than ready to take part.”

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Junior Achievement SWO receives Trillium grant for financial literacy

To expand the reach of its financial literacy programs, Junior Achievement South Western Ontario has received a $154,100 Trillium grant.

Author of the article:

Trevor Terfloth

Published Apr 10, 2023  •  1 minute read

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Over the next three-years, JA Canada will equip more than 90,000 youth from coast-to-coast-to-coast with the financial literacy skills and tools they need to be better prepared for the future with support from TD.

TORONTO, Dec. 1, 2022 /CNW/ – JA Canada is pleased to announce a renewed three-year collaboration with TD Bank Group (TD). This generous support will empower more than 90,000 youth across Canada with the skills they need to live a financially healthy future by participating in the Dollars with Sense program.

Dollars with Sense is a financial literacy program delivered to students in grades 7-9 across Canada. The program curriculum teaches students how to make smart financial decisions, live debt-free, and become savvy investors. Students learn personal money management skills that they can apply to their lives.

“Dollars with Sense is one of JA’s most in-demand and widely delivered programs. TD’s long-standing and renewed support for the program fuels JA Canada’s engagement of students, equipping them with critical financial literacy knowledge and skills to differentiate between needs and wants; make informed consumer decisions; use credit responsibly; and prepare a budget,” said Scott Hillier, CEO of JA Canada.

“Moreover, TD’s collaboration with our national program development of Dollars with Sense will enable JA to update and inclusively redesign the program increasing accessibility and engagement,” said Hillier.

The redesigned Dollars with Sense program will provide an interactive experience adapted to all learning styles whether students learn in the classroom, with a teacher or volunteer, or independently online at home.

“Supporting Canadian adolescents with the tools and support needed to build financial literacy fundamentals is very important to us,” said Uma Venkataramaiah, Senior Manager – Philanthropy Canada, TD Bank Group. “We’re so happy to continue supporting JA Canada and the Dollars with Sense initiative, both financially and through volunteerism, with programming that is accessible, inclusive and will help provide financial education skills to our future generations of leaders.”

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Junior Achievement Southwestern Ontario is preparing for its Hall of Fame gala that will honour Michelle Quintyn, chief executive of Goodwill Industries, and Tina Bax, founder of the CultureWorks language school.

Overview

Junior Achievement (JA) is a global organization, operating in 110 countries around the world.  Our vision is a world in which young people have the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities.  Through the economic empowerment of youth across the world, global peace and prosperity become possible.  In recognition of JA’s impact toward this vision, JA Worldwide has been nominated for the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize.

JA South Western Ontario (jaswo.org) is embarking on an exciting, growth-focused strategic plan, striving to double our student impact by 2025.  We are seeking candidates to join our committed volunteer Board of Directors for a three year term.  The JA South Western Ontario Board of Directors currently meets 8 times per year.  Currently all meetings are held through videoconferencing with a hybrid meeting model expected in future.  The board has three standing committees (Executive; Finance & Risk; Governance & Nominations) and uses operational committees to advance the work of the organization as required.

Key Considerations

The Board is focused on achieving the priorities of its Strategic Planning Framework.  This year, the Governance & Nominations committee is giving priority to individuals with the following:

• Skills/Experience – Individuals with a Certified Human Resources Leadership designation (CHRL/CHRP) and/or legal, technology or property management experience
• Geography – Individuals within South Western Ontario, with particular interest in individuals from Windsor-Essex, Chatham-Kent, Sarnia-Lambton, Waterloo Region and Hamilton
• Demographic background – Individuals with a variety of lived experience including gender, age and ethnicity

JA South Western Ontario is committed to broadening the diversity of our Board of Directors.  We encourage applications from individuals who reflect the diversity of the community we serve including but not limited to BIPOC, LGBT2SQIA+ and people with disabilities.  Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

Expressions of Interest

Are you ready to share your expertise and experience to guide our organization during this exciting growth period?  JA South Western Ontario invites expressions of interest from those wishing to serve on its Board of Directors for a term that would begin November 2022.  Interested candidates can learn more by contacting Alicia Gall, agall@jaswo.org or by submitting a resume for consideration by September 9, 2022.

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Tina Bax and Michelle Quintyn will be inducted into the London and District Business Hall of Fame in October

Photo: 2022 JA London and District Business Hall of Fame inductees Tina Bax and Michelle Quintyn

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT SOUTH Western Ontario has announced this year’s laureates to be inducted into the JA London and District Business Hall of Fame.

Each year, in recognition of outstanding contributions and ethics in business, Hall of Fame laureates are nominated and selected by respected members of the London and area business community.

Tina Bax, founder and former president of CultureWorks ESL and founder of Canada Immigration Pathway, and Michelle Quintyn, president and CEO, Goodwill Industries, Ontario Great Lakes, were announced as the 2022 laureates in a presentation held on Thursday.

JA announces Business Hall of Fame 2022 laureates

We could not be more grateful for our incredible volunteers who have continued to support our local students through another challenging year.  Young people need the skills and training from JA more than ever – and our volunteers help bring that experiential education every step of the way.  We’ve gathered information highlighting a few of our volunteers and we hope you’ll enjoy reading more about them and why they volunteer with JA.  THANK YOU to each and every volunteer for being so generous with your time to make a difference in the life of our youth.

Read our Volunteer Highlights

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Funding from Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development helps Junior Achievement bring game-changing program to youth in Hamilton

Hamilton, ON – April 25, 2022 – The Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development is helping JA South Western Ontario bring a new program to Hamilton, which is expected to be a game changer for at-risk youth. Through the Skills Development Fund, the Ministry is providing $100,400 toward the development of JA Job Shadow program in the community; supporting youth aged 16-20 who are not currently in school.

JA Job Shadow is an impactful program that informs and empowers youth with the skills and capabilities to thrive in the workforce.  To date, the program has primarily been used by JA organizations in the United States and other countries and the program in Hamilton will be one of the first of its kind in Canada.

“To build stronger communities, we need to ensure young people have pathways to meaningful employment,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. “I am proud to support this JA project, which gives youth in Hamilton hands-on training and a pathway to financial independence and a better life.”

JA Program participants will engage in career exploration and planning activities that help them develop the employability skills employers are seeking. They will also gain valuable experience through a job shadow opportunity with a local business. This project inspires youth to create their own career goals and develop vital skills by connecting them directly with employers so they can learn what is required for success

“This program is really focused at bridging a gap,” said Karen Gallant, President and CEO of JA South Western Ontario. “We know there are youth who need a less traditional path into their future – and we know there are companies looking for skilled workers. We are thrilled to be able to pilot this program in Hamilton and support young people and the community in this new way.”

JA Job Shadow will empower workers and job seekers who face higher barriers of entry, and enhance pathways into meaningful and gainful employment and will begin rolling out in the summer of 2022.  Interested partners or participants are encouraged to reach out to info@jaswo.org and check back for updates at jaswo.org.

Throughout all the shutdowns from the pandemic, Riverview Bingo has done everything in its power to keep the funding coming for JA and other charities in Chatham-Kent.

We’re so grateful for the support of Riverview across all three JA pillars – financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. Knowing that funding is there each month has been a huge help in bringing essential JA education to students in our community. This proactive education will help keep students out of the cycle of poverty – and support the community builders of the future!

Thank you Riverview!

https://www.riverviewbingo.ca/