Latino Professionals and Community Organizations Unite to Inspire Youth to Dream Big

Feb. 24, 2012 - PRLog -- Junior Achievement of New Jersey (JANJ) and community partners are proud to announce the 2012 Latino JA Community Initiative – Narrowing the Achievement Gap.  As the premier platform for bringing together the Latino community to inspire youth to dream big and reach their fullest potential, members of Latino organizations and professional resource groups are joining to share their personal stories with Latino youth emphasizing the importance of staying in school and providing them with a vision of the opportunities that await them.  

JANJ in partnership with the NJ chapters of the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA), the National Society of Hispanic MBA’s (NSHMBA), the Hispanic Bar Association (HBA) and the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; HISPA; the NJ Department of Banking and Insurance; Prudential’s HHN; will host the Latino Professional Community Forum followed by a JA Community Day, impacting nearly 1,000 youth in Newark.

The networking and informational Forum will be held on Tuesday, February 28, 2012 from 5:30-8:30pm in Prudential’s Dryden Hall, Newark where the Keynote speakers will discuss the state of NJ education as it relates to Latino youth and local workforce.

Keynote speakers include:
•   Jorge Silva-Puras, United States Small Business Administration (SBA) Region II Administrator
•   Susan Blount, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Prudential

Carlos Lejnieks, CEO Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson & Union Counties, will receive the “JA Latino Leadership Award” for the significant and positive impact he has made on the Latino community.  Additionally, a newly introduced “JA Latino Rising Star” award is being presented to Angelica Hughes of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey recognizing her commitment to the Latino community through her service as a JA volunteer and her leadership role within her organization.  

Following the forum, these organizations will put their words into action as mentors at Junior Achievement’s Community Day on Friday, March 9, 2012 from 8:30am-1:30pm at First Avenue School, Newark. Trained role models will deliver Junior Achievement’s K-8 financial literacy based programs to close to 1,000 Newark students.

“There is a vast need for more Latino role models for the youth,” says Orley J. Pacheco, vice president of Corporate Development, ALPFA NJ and chairman of the Latino Professional JA Community Initiative. “We are excited to impact all K-8 classes at First Avenue school and recognize the importance of coming together as a community.  Through programs of this nature we hope to bring awareness to the positive impact we as adults can offer our future leaders.”

“We are pleased and proud to be a partner in this endeavor to bring financial literacy programs to more communities in New Jersey,” said Department of Banking and Insurance Acting Commissioner Ken Kobylowski. “The Department has conducted hundreds of Financial Literacy programs in schools across New Jersey during the last six years and is currently undertaking initiatives to expand the program to other areas. It is clear that teaching students such things as how to open checking and savings accounts, set up a budget, and the way credit cards and interest work, can have a positive impact on their lives.”

There is still an opportunity for individuals and companies to join this community initiative.  Sponsoring a student ($37) or a classroom ($650) will help ensure that each student at First Avenue School receives the JA curriculum and is empowered to own their economic success.  More information is available at www.janjevents.org

# # #

Junior Achievement (JA) is the world's largest organization dedicated to educating students about work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy through experiential hands-on programs. JANJ is the New Jersey Chapter of Junior Achievement.