Junior Achievement of Northeastern PA Wraps Up School Year at Pittston Area with 12th YES! “Your Economic Success” Program

Wilkes-Barre, PA (May 24, 2024) – Junior Achievement of Northeastern Pennsylvania (JA) will deliver its 12th and final YES! Your Economic Success program for the 2023-24 school year on Wednesday, May 29 at Pittston Area Middle School. Nineteen corporate and community volunteers will deliver hands-on, interactive learning activities to over 200 eighth graders in a morning session.

YES! programs bring volunteers into middle school classrooms to deliver interactive, hands-on learning experiences that introduce students to a world of future career paths, challenging STEM activities, manufacturing and trade jobs, interviewing tips, and the role that personal and financial decisions will have on their adult lives. The Pittston Area YES! Day is supported by the McGowan Foundation.

“We believe young people, with the right mentoring and influences, can change our communities, and we are excited to have expanded our YES! programs to 12 middle schools this year,” said Susan Magnotta, Junior Achievement of NEPA President. “Our goal is to help students graduate from high school on a pathway to economic mobility. Junior Achievement’s interactive, hands-on learning experiences help students find their passions and discover a wide variety of career opportunities they may have never been exposed to.”

YES! launched in May 2023 as a pilot program at GAR Memorial Middle School in Wilkes-Barre. Building on its success and feedback from students, educators, and volunteers, JA scheduled 12 middle school YES! programs at area school districts during this school year, including Wilkes-Barre Area, Wyoming Valley West, West Scranton, Dunmore, Dallas, Old Forge, Hanover, Hazleton Area, Tunkhannock, North Pocono, Nanticoke, and Pittston Area. Volunteer role models from P&G, Wells Fargo Bank, Fidelity Bank, Sanofi, NEPIRC, PNC, King’s College, and many other local corporate and community organizations were integral in delivering the YES! programs.

“Middle School is an optimal time for students to begin thinking about their future and making important decisions that determine potential learning paths at the high school level,” explained Magnotta. “YES! helps them identify their areas of interest and allows them to explore these opportunities.”

Seventh and eighth grade students at Valley Elementary in Hazleton recently received a YES! Day. “Our students really enjoyed participating in the program. They loved the hands-on workshops and connecting with community members. It really aligns with Pennsylvania's Career Education and Work standards in a meaningful way. We look forward to working with Junior Achievement again in future years,” commented Victoria Kozlek, a Hazleton Area teacher.

Sponsorships and volunteers are critical for Junior Achievement to continue providing life-changing programs for area students. To join the growing movement and help give students a vision and pathway to their future success, visit www.nepa.ja.org or contact Susan Magnotta at 570-602-3600.

About Junior Achievement

Junior Achievement (JA) is the nation’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their futures, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA’s programs – in the core content areas of work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy – ignite the spark in young people to experience and realize the opportunities and realities of work and life in the 21st century. Nationally, Junior Achievement reaches more than 3.2 million students per year.

Download PDF