Three Ways JA Worldwide Helps Build Communities

For Global Community Day (June 22), Citi is partnering with non-profit organizations to strengthen communities across the globe through volunteerism. One of our key partners is JA Worldwide (JA, also known as Junior Achievement). Below is a guest blog post from the President and CEO of JA Worldwide on the organization's work and partnership with Citi and the Citi Foundation.

JA Worldwide is global youth-focused NGO dedicated to addressing fundamental social and economic challenges faced by millions of young people across the world. JA's goal is to empower young people to transform their future. To date, we've made an impact on 11 million students across our 121-country network, through the help of more than 400,000 volunteers around the world. Below are three ways our approach has helped build stronger communities across the globe:

1. We serve as a bridge for companies, organizations and individuals who wish to be involved in the youth economic development movement

At the highest level, I have always viewed JA as the nexus between the private sector, public sector and young people. Our work in youth economic development centers around three pillars: financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship education. This transformation can take many shapes from building self-confidence to enterprise creation. JA serves as a lens that can focus on relevant issues that enable various partners, from institutions like the European Union to private sector champions such as Citi and the Citi Foundation, to work together to address societal priorities. Whether through financial contributions, or Board, classroom and digital volunteering, we offer a collective ability to execute youth empowerment programs and create a lasting impact on the lives of young people.

2. We work strategically with partners to effectively execute and scale JA's mission

Partnerships are the lifeblood of JA. It is the volunteer support that Citi provides in tandem with the financial contributions it makes that enable us to execute our mission in a meaningful way. Globally, the Citi Foundation is one of our longest standing supporters: financially contributing to our mission and operations around the world, but more importantly, catalyzing annually approximately 2,000 Citi volunteers, who donate their time and expertise. Further, the strategic and technical program support provided to us by the Citi Foundation has enabled us to design innovative programs across the world - one example of this is "Mujeres Emprendedoras", a program in Latin America and the Caribbean working towards enabling young women to start their own business. Last year alone, in partnership with the Citi Foundation, we have been able to transform the lives of more than 300,000 young people across 50 countries. Together, we are making a difference by positively impacting youth economic development in these markets.

3. Our global reach helps us make a transformational impact on the lives and futures of young people around the world

We are a network that extends across 121 countries around the world, with 4,000 staff, reaching more than 10.5 million youth each year. Citi's global reach is one reason they make such a strong partner-- they understand the benefits of operating worldwide and have volunteers around the globe.

Due to our reach, we've seen success in instilling a "can-do" mentality or attitudinal shift in the minds of young people. This kind of impact cultivates a sense of ability and responsibility to make a difference in their lives, the lives of their families, the communities and ultimately the economic markets in which they live. In fact, according to research conducted by Boston Consulting Group in Canada, JA alumni are 50% more likely to start their own business, their average income is 50% higher than non-alumni, and they are 25% less likely to be unemployed.

Interested in volunteering with JA? Whether you're a large corporation, small business, or individual, it is easy to get engaged with our mission. Please visit the JA Worldwide website to learn more www.jaworldwide.org.