Junior Achievement (JA) is America’s largest and fastest growing non-profit organization dedicated to financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship education. Today, JA realizes its vision and purpose - to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy - through use of sequential and integrated kindergarten through high school programs. In partnership with businesses and educators, JA brings the real world to students, opening their minds to their potential. The business, economics and life-skill focused programs help students understand the relationship between what they learn in school and their successful participation in our economy. JA’s curriculum is taught by classroom volunteers, who are recruited from leading corporate and community organizations and enhance the lessons with their real-life experiences and professional expertise. These passionate business employees and local leaders are individuals who care enough to make a difference in a child’s life by taking their work to kids. Junior Achievement of Southwest New England's origins date back to 1951, with the creation of a Hartford-based JA organization. Today, JASWNE serves students in seven Connecticut counties (all but Fairfield County). For the current school year, JA expects to reach 47,000 students with more than 2,900 volunteers sharing their talents and business experience in the classroom.