State Farm grant awarded to Junior Achievement

FORT MYERS, Fla. - May 21, 2019 - PRLog -- Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida announced today that it has received grants totaling $7,000 to fund JA work readiness and financial literacy programming. The grants, from State Farm Insurance, are part of a larger statewide initiative totaling $60,000 that will support Junior Achievement programs in 11 localities throughout Florida, enabling over 5,000 young people to participate in JA's nationally recognized economic education programs.

"The mission of State Farm is to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams" shares Jose Soto, State Farm public affairs specialist. "JA programs help all students improve their financial literacy, however, a high percentage of low to moderate income students are likely to derive greater benefit from the programs."

Angela Fisher, president and CEO of Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida explains, "Many students lack the basic information they need to make good education, career and financial decisions.  They need to know about employment opportunities, and the skills they need to open some of the career doors that are available to them. They also need a basic understanding of how to successfully manage their personal finances."

Locally, the $7,000 allocation of State Farm funds to Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida partially funds 175 low to moderate income students to attend JA Our Nation, a program for elementary students that teaches about the U.S. free market system and how it serves as an economic engine for businesses and careers. Students learn that entrepreneurial and innovative thinking are required for high-growth, high-demand careers in a global economy.

About State Farm®

The mission of State Farm is to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams. State Farm and its affiliates are the largest providers of auto and home insurance in the United States. Its nearly 19,000 agents and approximately 58,000 employees serve approximately 83 million policies and accounts – approximately 81 million auto, fire, life, health and commercial policies and approximately 2 million bank  accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 36 on the 2018 Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit www.statefarm.com

About Junior Achievement:

Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. Junior Achievement programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches 4.8 million students per year in more than 100 markets across the United States, with an additional 5.6 million students served by operations over 100 other countries worldwide. Locally, Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida partnered with more than 200 classroom business volunteers during the 2017-2018 school year to provide nearly 63,800 hours of instruction to more than 11,600 students in 519 classes throughout Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties. For more information on Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida, visit www.JASWFL.org, call 239-225-2590 or email info@jaswfl.org.