FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 17, 2022
Local Organization Is The Latest To Receive Gift From World’s Richest Woman
Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, the world’s richest woman, has recognized the local impact of Junior Achievement of San Diego County (JA San Diego) by making a generous gift of $1.1 million. JA San Diego is one of 26 local JA’s that received a direct investment from Ms. Scott, who invested more than $38.8 million combined in the national organization and local offices.
“We’re so grateful to Ms. Scott and her team for this investment in San Diego youth,” said JA San Diego Board Co-Chair and CEO of Mission Fed Credit Union, Debra Schwartz. “This gift will allow JA San Diego to expand our services to serve more youth, in more ways, across more of San Diego County.”
JA San Diego has worked through school districts, community partners, and directly with families across the county for more than 70 years. Focusing on three pillars – financial literacy, career readiness, and entrepreneurship – JA San Diego has been synonymous with unique opportunities like The McGrath Family JA BizTown, Mission Fed JA Finance Park, and the JA Fellows at Lincoln High School. Through multiple programs, they are empowering more than 20,000 students annually through tangible skill development, access to social capital, and direct connections to careers.
“Learning about money and business, while leveraging mentors and social capital, is how organizations like JA San Diego are helping to break cycles of poverty, empowering underserved communities, and create diverse talent pipelines,” said JA San Diego President & CEO Sidd Vivek. “This gift is affirmation that our work is critical… and motivation that we have much more work to do.”
About Junior Achievement of San Diego
Since 1950, JA San Diego has impacted over one million young people through Common Core-aligned K-12 programs guided by the three pillars of financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and career readiness. JA programs enable students to make connections between what they learn in school and real-world applications. JA programs ignite the spark in young people to recognize the value of their education; be aware of and plan for their future; and realize the opportunities and realities of work and life in the 21st century through hands-on learning experiences. These early insights are essential building blocks for economic empowerment and self-sufficiency. Visit jasandiego.org.
