Junior Achievement Inspire expo empowers nearly 6,000 Lee County students
Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida (JA) recently hosted its second annual in-person JA Inspire career expo at Florida Gulf Coast University’s Alico Arena. Previously hosted as a virtual event, this expo has proven successful with students, providing nearly 6,000 eighth- and tenth-grade students from Lee County with hands-on learning opportunities across various career paths in Southwest Florida. The primary objective was to spark enthusiasm in young minds and address the workforce demands of our rapidly expanding industries.
Students arrived early, ready to explore the diverse career paths presented to them and engage with 45 of the region’s prominent employers and business professionals. They gained valuable insights into potential future endeavors and envisioned their career options in Southwest Florida. After a structured curriculum taught in classrooms, students participated in the JA Inspire career expo, engaging in meaningful conversations with live Southwest Florida employers. This experience provided insights into earning credentials, gaining real-world work experience, and ultimately pursuing employment opportunities.
JA extends its heartfelt gratitude to valued partners whose contributions have been instrumental in making this program a resounding success and shaping a brighter future for students. Special thanks to Florida Gulf Coast University, the School District of Lee County, and the Lee County Industrial Development Authority. JA also appreciates the dedicated sponsors of the event, including Diamond sponsor Suncoast Credit Union, Platinum sponsor Beasley Media Group, LLC, and Gold sponsors Comcast, Entech, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Regions Bank, and Truly Nolan.
For more information about Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida and its programs, please visit www.jaswfl.org.
About Junior Achievement
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 learning experiences 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. Additionally, Junior Achievement is expanding its reach to 18-to-25-year-olds to provide young adults with critical life skills, as well as to pre-K youth to ensure children get a solid head start. Today, JA reaches more than 4.4 million students per year in 102 markets across the United States as part of 12.5 million students served by operations in more than 100 other countries worldwide. Junior Achievement USA is a member of JA Worldwide. For more information, visit www.ja.org.
Locally, Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida partnered with classroom business volunteers during the 2022-2023 school year to provide 160,865 hours of instruction to 12,259 students throughout Collier, Lee, and Charlotte counties. For more information on Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida, visit JASWFL.org, call 239-225-2590, or email info@jaswfl.org.