July Regional Round-Up: Highlights from Our Six Regions
July 26, 2022
There’s always so much happening in the six JA regions that it can be hard to keep up! That’s why we’ve compiled some of our favorite stories from each regional operating center from last month.
JA Asia Pacific
National competitions are underway (including JA Korea and JA Singapore, among others), in preparation for the 16th Annual FedEx Express/JA Asia Pacific International Trade Challenge! The International Trade Challenge (ITC) pairs students from different locations and asks them to work together to imagine a market-entry strategy for a product or service that solves a real-life problem. Presenting partner FedEx has sponsored JA competitions around the world since 2007, including regional Company of the Year competitions, the FedEx Junior Business Challenge in the U.S. and Canada, and the International Trade Challenge in Asia Pacific. Mark your calendar: 2022 ITC returns August 9–11!
INJAZ Al-Arab JA MENA
INJAZ Al-Arab officially kicked off its exclusive partnership with TikTok and the “I Am Future Ready” campaign. The inspirational byte-sized video campaign showcases industry leaders who offer a mix of awareness and information about emerging jobs in the future and the skills needed for these jobs. These skills will empower the region’s youth by preparing them for future jobs in the booming fields of artificial intelligence, the care economy, engineering, cloud computing, the green economy, product development, people, and culture, as well as marketing and content. Learn more at tiktok.com/@injazalarab.
JA Europe
Are you work-ready? Find out in the latest episode of the JA Europe Podcast. Riccardo Barberis, President of Northern Europe at ManpowerGroup, Axel Andersson and Isak Drougge of Shear Joy UF (Ung Företagsamhet Sverige/JA Sweden), and Miriam Cresta, CEO of JA Italia, share their expertise on the job market, the skills needed to enter, and much more! Listen to the new episode on Spotify and YouTube.
Elsewhere on the continent, more than 1,000 students in 50 schools across Junior Achievement Magyarország, JA Italia, Junior Achievement Portugal, and JA Slovenija have participated in activities regarding the circular economy, food waste, health nutrition, and other essential topics. More than 100 mini-companies have been created by students to tackle these challenges and bring concrete results. Read more about how you can help foster the next generation of Europeans at eit-skills4future.eu.
Finally, over the last two years, Junior Achievement Portugal, in partnership with EIT (European Institute of Innovation and Technology), has taken the #GirlsGoCircular project to more than 500 students across the country. This initiative aims to impact young girls between the ages of 14 and 19, leading them to develop digital and entrepreneurial skills to reduce the digital skills gap between genders, with a focus on building sustainable projects. In September, JA Portugal will challenge teachers again to reach more than 750 students in Portugal by the end of 2022. Learn more at eit-girlsgocircular.eu.
JA Americas
The first #NAUfest in June was the largest JA Americas regional event ever! More than 30,000 students from 25 countries across the Americas region participated in 13,000 educational experiences over eight days of activities, which included workshops, inspirational talks, and a work expo. The Project Management Institute (PMI) Foundation was the main sponsor, and also counted on support from Johnson & Johnson, Amazon Web Services, Arcos Dorados, Avanade, Meta, and Alpine Group. Find more than 25 hours of streaming on the JA Americas YouTube channel.
In addition, JA leaders from 15 countries participated in the 12th-annual Leadership Summit in Miami, the region's first face-to-face event since 2019. Held at Miami University and sponsored by Delta Air Lines, executive directors, board chairs, and regional board members joined the JA Americas regional team for workshops, joint sessions, and the launch of the 2023–2025 JA Americas strategy. The event also recognized outstanding members with the Model Country Award. Winners include JA Argentina, JA Canada, JA Costa Rica, and JA Guatemala.
Finally, JA Americas welcomes JA Argentina's former Executive Director Noël Zemborain as she joins the regional team as JA Americas' Operations Director. Paula Pastor Flores, who held the position for 12 years, recently moved into the role of Executive Director for JA México. Read the official announcement.
JA Africa
JA Zimbabwe launched Green Opportunities through Building Entrepreneurship for Young Offenders’ Needs and Development (GO-BEYOND), which seeks to rehabilitate juvenile offenders who are about to be released from prison through green-enterprise development. The Project is supported by JA Labs, a collaborative learning program designed by JA worldwide to elevate innovations to reach underserved youth. Read more.
Junior Achievement Kenya, with support from Citibank Kenya, presented the awards won by Project Yoof, students from Nova Pioneer Tatu Girls in Kenya, who won JA Africa’s 2021 Company of the Year Competition, which was held earlier this year. The competition, supported by FedEx, Citi Foundation, PMI Educational Foundation, and Tomorrow Foundation, saw 36 high school-aged entrepreneurs from nine African countries pitch their businesses to a panel of business experts from around the world in this keenly contested competition. Read more.
JA Mauritius has expanded JA ITS TYME to support women entrepreneurs on Rodrigues Island with support from Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF). Eighty women entrepreneurs have signed up for the program, which will build their capacity to become micro-entrepreneurs, while teaching them important steps for managing their businesses and finances. Read more.
Junior Achievement USA
JA USA held its annual National Leadership Conference for JA staff around the United States last week in Fort Worth, Texas. In addition to professional and leadership development opportunities—and the official launch of the modernized JA branding—staff members were honored with prestigious awards:
The Charles R. Hook Award recognizes the Junior Achievement USA President whose professionalism and performance best represent the core values and ideals of Junior Achievement. Winner: Richard George, two-time recipient of the award, Junior Achievement of Tampa Bay
The Karl Flemke Pioneer Achievement Award recognizes significant achievements and contributions of first-time JA Area Presidents with not less than two and not more than six years of service in their current position. Winner: Dougal Nelson, Junior Achievement of the Heartland
The Rising Star Awards was created in 2004 to recognize JA staff who have excelled in their role and are considered “Rising Stars” of the organization. These individuals demonstrate a commitment to the success of JA and accept increasingly important leadership roles within the JA organization. Winners: Dena Kidd, JA of Arizona; Jennie Masuch, JA of Greater Kansas City; Courtney Miller, JA of Memphis and the Mid-South; Olivier Millour, JA of Tampa Bay
The JA Model Values Professional (MVP) Award was established to reinforce the importance of living our values. JA associates must exemplify values and behaviors that provide the model for the students we serve and assure JA a place as a business to be respected in every community where JA has a presence. Winners: Sara Dziuk, JA of the Upper Midwest; Resa Kirchhevel, JA of South Dakota; Amy Dauer, JA of Greater Kansas City
Congratulations to all the award finalists and recipients!