Age range

Website: www.JAinPA.org

Mission/Goals: Founded nationally in 1919 and locally in Delaware Valley in 1950, the Junior Achievement mission is to educate and inspire young people to value free enterprise, understand business and economics, and be workforce ready.

Source: www.guidestar.org

Notes: Junior Achievement of Delaware Valley operates in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Lehigh and Northampton counties.

Type of Evaluation: Quasi-Experimental.
 

Note: JC Penny Afterschool is partnering with Junior Achievement to do some preliminary afterschool evaluations; the pilot assessment was in St. Louis. Afterschool Impacts Evaluation not yet completed.

Objective: The study assessed the long-term effects of national Junior Achievement in-school programs on student outcomes.

Impact/Outcome Findings: JA programs had a statistically significant positive association with students' attitudes and aspirations regarding education and employment. JA students outperformed non-JA students on school performance indicators such as academic honors and computer skills. JA students also had a significantly better level of understanding of the free enterprise system. JA was also found to be positively associated with post high school outcomes in areas such as post-secondary education, employment and general life aspirations/attitudes. For example, JA students were more likely to go to college immediately following high school, they were more confident about their educational abilities, and were more likely to have a positive self-concept.