Scranton Area Community Foundation awards $10,000 community needs grant to Junior Achievement of NEPA to support career pathway programs

Scranton, PA – July 9, 2024 — The Scranton Area Community Foundation recently presented Junior Achievement of NEPA $10,000 as part of its Spring Community Needs Grant to foster programs that strengthen the community and enrich the lives of those living in Lackawanna County. Through this partnership, Junior Achievement will engage students with career pathway programs to give them a vision for their future, a pathway to success, and foster belief in themselves so they can become successful adults with the capacity to contribute to their communities.

“The Scranton Area Community Foundation is proud to collaborate with Junior Achievement as it strengthens the youth of our community through impactful career readiness and educational programs,” said Cathy Fitzpatrick, Director of Grants & Scholarships at the Scranton Area Community Foundation.

By providing hands-on, interactive and immersive programs on career and work readiness, interviewing tips, STEM skills, trade jobs, entrepreneurship, and personal finance, Junior Achievement empowers and prepares young people to become successful adults with greater economic mobility. By introducing students to local companies and high growth jobs in our market, they can graduate with the ability to strengthen the local workforce and contribute to their communities.

“Our programs help inspire students to make smart decisions about their futures and career choices,” said Junior Achievement of NEPA President, Susan Magnotta. “Volunteer role models from the public, private, and non-profit sectors lead our interactive programs with students, share their own life experiences, and open students' minds to a world of job and career options they may have never before dreamed possible.”

“Community funding from organizations such as the Scranton Area Community Foundation is critical for Junior Achievement to expand these engaging programs to more students and help empower them toward a promising future and improved economic mobility. We deeply appreciate the Scranton Area Community Foundation’s support,” Magnotta added.

For more information about Junior Achievement of Northeastern Pennsylvania, visit www.nepa.ja.org or call 570-602-3600.

About Junior Achievement:

Junior Achievement 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 personal finance – ignite the spark in young people to experience and realize the opportunities for a successful future and upward economic mobility. Nationally, Junior Achievement reaches more than 4.8 million students per year.

About the Scranton Area Community Foundation:

The Scranton Area Community Foundation is on a mission to enhance the quality of life for all people in Northeastern Pennsylvania through the development of organized philanthropy. With over $90 million in assets under management and more than 330 charitable funds, the Scranton Area Community Foundation has served as a steward, grantmaker, charitable resource, and catalyst for change since 1954. The Foundation leads various initiatives, including Women in Philanthropy, the Center for Community Leadership and Nonprofit Excellence, NEPA Moves, and the NEPA Animal Welfare Collaborative. Additionally, the Foundation hosts and facilitates NEPA Gives and the NEPA Learning Conference. The Scranton Area Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax-exempt organization confirmed in compliance with National Standards of U.S. Community Foundations. More information about the Scranton Area Community Foundation can be found at www.safdn.org.

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