Junior Achievement China

Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to educating students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs. Each year, JA reaches over 9 million students in more than 100 countries around the world, inspiring and preparing young people for their future career development and to succeed in the global economy. JA is a partnership between the business community and educators, and we develop and implement economic and business education programs reaching students in grade schools through universities.

As the economy becomes increasingly globalized, China needs strong global business talent. To meet this critical need, President and Chairman of the JA China Board of Directors Paul C. Chou founded JA China in 1993 to deliver innovative business and economics programs in schools ranging from primary schools through universities. Under the leadership of Mr. Chou, Executive Director Yang Gao, and a dedicated Board of Directors comprised of multinational business executives in China, JA China currently has over 30 full-time staff in offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Xi’an. JA China staff members localize, coordinate and support the implementation of a variety of semester-long courses and single day workshops taught by business volunteers possessing first-hand business experience as well as local teachers. JA China’s curriculum is centered on four educational aims: work readiness, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and sustainable development. A strong foundation in these four areas will help students develop the character, creativity and leadership they need to become the future business leaders of China and the world.

During the 2010/2011 academic year, JA China implemented 19 different courses emphasizing career readiness, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development in 1,270 schools in 20 cities across China. These classes, lectures, workshops, and events impacted 1,076,114 students through the support of 8,143 volunteers. In addition to our classroom-based activities, JA China also hosts regional and national conferences and competitions for a variety of age groups. In recent years, these events have included the Global Business Ethics competition for university students, the Youth Entrepreneurship Summit for high school students, the Junior Achiever Green Innovation Competition for elementary school students, and the Laws of Life Essay Competition for all primary and secondary school students.