Looking Back, Moving Forward
We are celebrating the 2025–2026 school year as a year of innovation and impact across Southeast Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Every classroom visited, every career conversation sparked, every volunteer who shared their time, every donor whose generosity made our programs possible, and every student who discovered a new possibility helped move our mission forward.
While final year-end numbers are still being compiled, we expect to have reached over 35,000 students through almost 1,000 learning experiences, supported by nearly 700 volunteers, more than 550 educators, and well over 400,000 hours of learning. Those numbers represent thousands of young people who are better prepared to navigate their futures with confidence.
This year, we continued expanding career-connected learning experiences that help students connect what they are learning in school with the opportunities waiting beyond graduation. Thousands of middle and high school students participated in career speaker events, mock interviews, job shadows, career fairs, entrepreneurship experiences, and workplace readiness programming. Along the way, they explored industries ranging from healthcare and maritime to finance, technology, construction, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship while building the skills employers value most.
Experiential learning remained at the heart of our work. Through JA Finance Park, students strengthened their financial decision-making by managing realistic household budgets and making informed financial choices. At JA BizTown, elementary students stepped into the roles of business owners, employees, consumers, and civic leaders, experiencing firsthand how businesses, communities, and personal finances work together. These immersive experiences continue to be some of the most memorable moments in a student's JA journey because they transform classroom concepts into real-world experiences.
Innovation and entrepreneurship also took center stage throughout the year. High school students developed and pitched original business ideas through the Trust Your Crazy Ideas Challenge, while participants in our second JA StartUP cohort refined their ventures alongside experienced business leaders and presented their companies during a community showcase. Together, these programs are helping cultivate the next generation of entrepreneurs who will shape the future economy of our region.
This year also marked one of the most meaningful moments in Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans' history as we welcomed our one millionth student. That milestone represents far more than a number. It reflects 70 years of partnership with educators, volunteers, businesses, donors, and community leaders who have invested in helping young people discover their potential. Every student who has participated in a JA program over the past seven decades is part of that remarkable legacy.
Most importantly, this year's accomplishments belong to our community. To every donor who invested in our mission, thank you. Your generosity provided the foundation that made every classroom experience, career exploration event, and hands-on learning opportunity possible. Our volunteers generously shared their career journeys and professional expertise. Educators welcomed JA into their classrooms and partnered with us to enrich student learning. Corporate partners invested not only in our programs but in the future workforce and economic vitality of our region. Together, our supporters created opportunities that many students may never have experienced otherwise.
As we prepare for the 2026–2027 school year, we invite our community to help make it our strongest yet. If you're an educator, now is the perfect time to schedule Junior Achievement programs that inspire students to dream bigger and prepare for brighter futures. You can request programs for your classroom or school at jagno.org/request-a-program.
If you're a professional or business leader, consider donating a day of service. Whether you volunteer in a classroom, serve as a career speaker, mentor students, or support one of our experiential learning programs, your personal story and expertise can have a lasting impact on a young person's future. Learn more about becoming a JA volunteer at jagno.org/be-a-volunteer.
Finally, as we launch a new academic year, we also need the financial support that makes these opportunities possible. Whether you choose to sponsor a student, fund a classroom, support an entire grade level, or invest in the long-term systems that create lasting economic opportunity for young people, your gift helps ensure that every student has access to the experiences, skills, and confidence they need to succeed. To make a gift, visit jagno.org/invest.
Together, we're not just preparing students for what's next—we're helping them build it.