Owensboro, KY —Junior Achievement of West Kentucky has been awarded one of Junior Achievement USA®’s (JA USA) highest honors: the Five Star Award. The purpose of the Five Star Award is to recognize staff and boards of JA Areas that meet Junior Achievement’s national standards in operational efficiency and through strong representation of the JA brand. Recipients must demonstrate growth in student impact and superior fiscal performance. Achievement against these criteria is certified through JA USA and audited financial statements.
Junior Achievement of West Kentucky, based in Owensboro, which now serves more than 23,000 students annually throughout Owensboro and the West Kentucky area, was presented with the award in July at Junior Achievement USA’s National Leadership Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. They have won the national award 14 out of the past 15 years.
“JA of West Kentucky, as a repeat Five Star Winner, represents the best Junior Achievement has to offer,” said Jack E. Kosakowski, president and CEO of Junior Achievement USA. “They set the standard by which Junior Achievement’s success is measured at the local level. Their commitment and dedication to young people is reflected in their achieving this honor.”
As an organization, Junior Achievement understands that its effectiveness depends on how well JA Areas deliver the organization’s financial literacy, work-readiness, and entrepreneurship programs in local communities.
“We are thrilled to receive the Five Star Award,” said Dan Douglas, president of Junior Achievement of West Kentucky. “We thank our hundreds of classroom volunteers and corporate partners who joined with our board of directors, county action boards, and staff to empower our area young people to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices.”
About Junior Achievement of West Kentucky
Junior Achievement, through a dedicated volunteer network, provides educational programs for kids in grades K-12 that focus on business, citizenship, economics, entrepreneurship, ethics/character, financial literacy and career development. During the 2021-2022 school year, JA of West Kentucky served 1,029 classrooms region-wide, efficiently reaching 23,675 students, with one of the lowest operating costs per student served in the nation. If you would like to become involved with JA, call the local JA office at (270) 684-7291, email at autumne.a.baker@ja.org or visit the website at westky.ja.org.
About Junior Achievement USA® (JA)
Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches more than 3 million students per year in 102 markets across the United States, with an additional 6 million students served by operations in 100 other countries worldwide. Junior Achievement USA is a member of JA Worldwide. Visit www.ja.org for more information.