Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South

We were welcomed back to our “Triple Play” school of Germanshire Elementary for a fantastic JA in a Day with returning volunteers from EY! 🌟 For the second year in a row, the EY team-- including JA Board member Justin Gentry-- joined forces to deliver engaging lessons in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship to the K-5 students at “The Shire” with the incredible help of our High School Heroes from Kingsbury and White Station. A huge thank you to EY and our amazing TAP students for your dedication and impact and to Germanshire Elementary for being a committed partner in preparing every child to be world ready! . Want your team to join us for a day of volunteering? Want your school to be maxed out on JA programming with “Triple Play” status? Visit our website for more information: jamemphis.org

What a blast we had at Wednesday's #PlayForeJA event, swinging alongside teams at Topgolf locations across the country in unison, all of us united by our drive to support the JA mission! ⛳ Huge thanks to AT&T for their support of our mission to make #EveryChildWorldReady through financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Together, we are shaping the future leaders of our community!

What an amazing morning at Germantown High School inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs during this year's first JA Launch Lessons: A Taste of Entrepreneurship! 🌱 A big thanks to today’s speakers—JA Board Member Kiamesha Wilson, MBA Wilson of Kaye's Pints & Scoops, Ali Manning of Umami Food Consulting, and Alonzo Tate of Big Red's Family Farm— for taking time to share about their career journeys in the Farm-to-Table industry, giving insights and resources for building success, and inspiring the students to dream about all the things they can be! We look forward to reaching even more students in the upcoming sessions with all 8 of our inspirational speakers from the region’s Farm-to-Table industry! 

We’re thrilled to announce our latest recipe for success: an exciting new partnership with Marco's Pizza Foundation! 🍕 Together, we’re supporting education, workforce development, and entrepreneurship—the core pillars that fuel our communities’ growth and success. By simply rounding up your order at any Marco's Pizza (Marco's Franchising, LLC) across Memphis and the Mid-South, you’re joining us in building a brighter future for our area’s students. Every contribution counts toward this incredible mission! Learn more about the Marco’s Pizza Foundation and how you can make an impact in our region: https://lnkd.in/gXRWa23A. #MarcosPizzaFoundation #JuniorAchievement #RoundUpForChange #BigDreamsStartFromScratch #WorkforceDevelopment #Entrepreneurship 

How can we ensure students get as much out of their Junior Achievement experience as possible? Host them for two JA programs in one! We combined JA Finance Park’s world of budgeting and financial decision-making with our “Lunch and Learn” JA Career Speaker Series that invites leaders in our community to share about their career journeys and expose students to new possibilities. This week, middle school students from Colonial, Hickory Ridge, EE Jeter, and Lowrance not only experienced our immersive finance simulation but also heard inspiring insights from our incredible speakers: JA Board Member Scotty Hendricks, Jr. (New York Life), Dana Wiley, (Baptist Health Sciences University), and Judge Kenya Hooks (Memphis Municipal Court). Thank you to our speakers for bringing real-world career perspectives to our young leaders! Your first-hand stories and advice gave students a powerful glimpse into how financial literacy and career planning shape successful futures.

We’re so grateful to be the recipient of the proceeds from Club Car Wash's grand opening fundraiser! 🚗 Starting today (Thu 10/31), visit their new location at 3581 Hickory Hill Rd, Memphis, and get your car washed for just $1. For 14 days, every dollar—and any additional donations—will go directly to Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South, helping us empower the next generation of local students with essential financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurial skills. Thank you to the team at Club Car Wash for your commitment to making a difference in our community— together we can make a lasting impact on the future leaders in our region! 

We spent the day with the awesome K-5 students of East Union Attendance Center for this school year’s first Mississippi JA in a Day! These young learners dove into hands-on lessons in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship, setting the stage for brighter futures and boundless possibilities. A huge shoutout to our JA High School Heroes from New Albany School of Career & Technical Education and the incredible parent volunteers who helped guide today’s program. Thank you all for supporting the growth and development of the next generation of leaders in our region! #EveryChildWorldReady

📈 The Inaugural JA Stock Market Challenge is just a few weeks away, and we’re ready for a night of high-energy competition, strategy, and fun—just like what students experience in our JA Take Stock in My Future program! Ready to test your skills in the fast-paced world of stock trading? Here’s your chance to rise to the challenge and make an impact by supporting the next generation of financial leaders! A huge thank you to our incredible sponsors who’ve already stepped up to support the Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge: Wells Fargo, Strategic Financial Partners, Fogelman Properties, Silver Tree Residential, LLC, Duncan Williams Asset Management, and PreserverPartners, LLC! Your commitment is paving the way for Mid-South students to build essential financial literacy and career skills. . Interested in joining our team of sponsors or bringing a team to compete? Reach out to Mary Kanowitz at mkanowitz@jamemphis.org—let’s make this event unforgettable together!

We were honored to be invited by our JA Board Chair, Kelly Lomax, to the Greater Memphis Chamber Chairman’s Circle networking afternoon, hosted by Chair Bill Dunavant and his wonderful wife Michelle at their beautiful Foxfield home. We loved connecting with our incredible board and YPB members, including Memphis Chamber President Ted Townsend, Brenda Duckett, Scotty Hendricks, Jr., and Billy Dunavant. This gathering brought together leaders dedicated to the growth of the Mid-South region, and we’re excited to continue collaborating on ways to empower our area’s youth. Together, we’re paving the way toward making #EveryChildWorldReady! 

Thank you to Eugene Wang of Creative Co-Op, Inc. for stopping by JA for a visit! We are grateful for their many years of supporting our mission of #EveryChildWorldReady and look forward to our continued partnership in ensuring that all students in our region have the financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurial skills to needed to succeed!