Daily News

JA of Western Mass. Receives $7,500 Grant from Wells Fargo

SPRINGFIELD — Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts, a local non-profit organization that provides financial literacy, entrepreneurship and career readiness education, announced today it was awarded a $7,500 grant from Wells Fargo. Funding from Wells Fargo will support Pathways to 21st Century Skills Project to provide students with the tools to develop the 21st century skills needed to become highly skilled, autonomous employees.

Pathways to 21st Century Skills leverages the skills, talent, educational, and career opportunities of this region to create a cadre of role models from the community to weave multiple intersecting pathways for middle grade and high school students to engage with JA’s relevant curriculum and instructional materials, supplemental technology-driven simulations, job-shadow experiences, and competitions.

The project’s goals are to improve students’ knowledge of financial literacy in order for them to make sound financial judgments in the future; increase students’ entrepreneurial skills; increase students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills, while increasing awareness of career and post-secondary education and career opportunities in Western Mass.

“JA of Western MA is very excited to have the opportunity to partner with Wells Fargo to bring our programs to middle grade students,” said Jennifer Connolly, president of JA of Western Massachusetts. “Wells Fargo, like Junior Achievement, is dedicated to strengthening economic opportunities in underserved communities by empowering individuals with knowledge, and tools needed to ensure financial self-sufficiency to inspire own their economic success,”

Said Ben Leonard, vice president, Wells Fargo Middle Market Banking in Springfield, “Wells Fargo has a rich history of community support in Massachusetts and we have personal connections to the people in our communities — many of whom we proudly call our customers. JA of Western Massachusetts provides critical financial literacy skills, entrepreneurship experiences and economic education to youth, helping them understand all the ways they can have successful futures.”