JA USA: Michael Crome

When an accountant came into Michael Crome’s 11th-grade classroom in Columbus, Ohio more than two decades ago as a JA volunteer, neither one knew that day would change Michael’s life. 

Earlier this year, Michael was promoted to Chief Financial Officer of the Las Vegas Raiders, overseeing all financial aspects of the NFL team, including athlete salaries, stadium sales, merchandise, and more. 

“Junior Achievement opened the door for me,” Michael recalls, “to learn more about my future career. The volunteer who taught in my classroom inspired me with the insight about his career as an accountant. That interaction helped me to find my way into the world of finance, where I work today.

“Seeing someone who looked like me, someone that I could relate to, who was in the classroom, teaching a lesson [caused me to] go that route. I went to college, majored in accounting, and the rest is history.”

“Now, I’m trying to find more Michaels,” he says, “who may just need one or two chance interactions to set a new trajectory.”

Michael followed in his volunteer’s footsteps in another way: In 2006, he started volunteering with JA, too. By 2019, Michael was so invested in promoting JA’s mission that he had completed the World Marathon Challenge, finishing seven full marathons in seven continents over seven days to raise money for JA, after previously serving as Board Chair of JA in Las Vegas. 

INJAZ Al-Arab: Team Hasib

When the pandemic dramatically increased the number of bike riders across the Middle East, accidents and injuries also skyrocketed. One team of student entrepreneurs devised a high-tech solution.

In Bahrain, bikes are used as often as cars, but without the built-in protection that cars provide. 

Team Hasib, a JA student company from INJAZ Bahrain that won the INJAZ Al-Arab Young Enterpreneurs Celebration in 2022,, was especially concerned that accidents would drive down the number of cyclists and drive up the number of cars on the road, negating the environmental gains made during the pandemic. So the team invented a product that alerts drivers by both sound and a visual warning whenever car comes within 2.5 meters of the rider. 

Team Hasib—Habiba Maher, Hussain Al Mahoozi, Fatima Al Goud, Lulwa Osama, and Rashid Mahmood—put efficient and well-placed sensors into a small box designed to fit under the bike seat, thus creating an innovative early-alert signal cyclists may be in danger.

Hasib—which means “be careful” in Arabic—is revolutionizing Bahrainian bike travel and encouraging more riders to leave their cars at home. Like many JA student companies, profit meets sustainability seamlessly. 

JA Europe: Team Scribo

Whiteboard markers present an environmental challenge, as they dry out quickly and are tossed into waste bins in conference rooms and classrooms all over the world, resulting in millions of pounds of waste. But one JA company found a solution: zero-waste markers that also recycle printer wax that would also end up in a landfill. 

The De La Vega Global Entrepreneurship Award is the most prestigious student award in the JA network. Made possible by the generosity of JA Worldwide Governor Ralph de la Vega and his wife, Maria, the competition brings together the first-place JA Student Company winners from JA’s six regions.

Scribo from JA Slovakia and JA Europe took home the prize in 2022, with its zero-waste, environmentally friendly whiteboard markers made from recycled printer wax, a waste product that the printer is happy to give away for free. Miroslava Velgosová, Gréta Sotáková, Oszkár Urbán, Jakub Mičko, who make up Team Scribo, tried nearly two dozen varieties of alternative materials before finding an innovative composition that neither produces waste nor leads to dried-out markers, offering the potential to keep 35 billion markers out of landfills each year. Scribo markers are currently available in ten countries.

Thanks to the generosity of the de la Vega family, Scribo received a US$15,000 cash prize and other educational opportunities. Students are free to spend the money as they see fit, whether they continue to grow their business or further their education.

Ralph and Maria de la Vega were inspired to create this award when they attended a JA Company of the Year competition in Oslo, Norway. Inspired by the young people they saw competing, they wanted to do more. “Young people are living messages to a time we will not live to see,” Ralph said at this year’s De La Vega Global Enterpreneurship Award ceremony. “Messages of hope, messages of inspiration, messages of prosperity, and messages of peace.”

JA Asia Pacific: Cha-Ching Curriculum

Co-developed by Prudence Foundation and JA Asia Pacific, Cha-Ching Curriculum introduces economic concepts for students aged seven to twelve. The program emphasizes economic and social studies content while providing a strong focus on finance, mathematics, planning and analytical skills. Students are encouraged to use critical thinking skills to make decisions on how to manage money applying four key concepts: Earn, Save, Spend and Donate in their daily lives.

These four concepts support positive attitudes as students explore and enhance their money-management skills in the classroom and beyond. Through a variety of hands-on activities and technological supplements designed to support differentiated learning styles, students develop a better understanding of the relationship between what they learn at school and their successful participation in a worldwide economy.

At its core, Cha-Ching consists of a series of music videos featuring six lively characters, which helps children understand the fundamental money-management concepts. The six characters are members of the Cha-Ching band, each with a different approach to money management. Cha-Ching music videos feature catchy songs with lyrics and enhanced subtitles that children can sing along to, aiding comprehension and retention.

The episodes air on Cartoon Network, the number one children’s channel in Asia, in eight markets: Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. Offered in nine languages, the program now has over over four million views.

Also used extensively by teachers in the classroom, the Cha-Ching Curriculum has now been endorsed by the Ministry of Education of the Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand and Vietnam. To date, over 500,000 students have experienced the Cha-Ching Curriculum, with more than 10,000 teachers trained.

JA Americas: Live and VR Youth Events

In 2022, the Americas region drove youth education, engagement, and empowerment by successfully hosting national and regional events, both live and virtual. Filled with a mix of inspiring speakers and hands-on, experiential workshops, the virtual NAU Fest and three editions of FIE offered youth in the Americas region additional opportunities to expand their skillsets.

With the support of the Project Management Institute Educational Foundation, JA Americas launched a new event in 2022, called NAU Fest. Hosted on the SpatialChat platform, which mimics an immersive, virtual-reality experience without the need for expensive headsets, the virtual festival featured workshops on entrepreneurship, employability, sustainability, STEM, and resilience for students ages 16 and over, all in three languages. Keynote speakers at 2022 NAU Fest included Ndaba Mandela, Muhammad Yunus, Argentine rapper Wow, Rayssa Bratillieri, Maren Lau, and more. 

Similarly, the International Entrepreneurs’ Forum (FIE) is a high-impact educational program organized by JA Mexico, Junior Achievement Argentina, and JA Guatemala in three separate events, all of which were held in person in 2022. During a FIE event, participants interact with cultures from different parts of the world; talk with prominent speakers who serve as a source of inspiration; and take part in competitions, hands-on workshops, and activities that enhance students’ skills.

In recommending the FIE Mexico event, FIE alumnus Alejandro Márquez shared his story: “More than 10 years ago, I had the opportunity to live the FIE experience and I can say, it’s one of the best experiences of my life. Now I’m an economist and I work with federal government institutions that support entrepreneurs. I’m glad that you continue with this extraordinary work.”

According to Andrés Vila, co-director of the Córdoba, Argentina, event location, FIE “is a transforming experience for young people because they encounter many different realities and cultures, yet they all agree on being the engine of change to positively impact their communities.” 

Gabriel Allasia, president of JA Córdoba (Argentina), shared that “the particularity of the 2022 event was the large number of young volunteers involved to make it possible,” most of whom were previous FIE participants. These near-peers serve as important role models to young people from across the Americas, a key component of JA’s Theory of Change.

JA Africa: Junior Billionaire's Club

More than 60 percent of Africa’s population is under the age of 25. At the same time, as the microfinance boom has enabled easy access to capital, young Africans are being targeted by financial scams and unscrupulous lending. The solution? Develop financial literacy and resilience among Africa’s 600 million youth. 

During 2022, JA Africa and The Richer Media signed a partnership to produce The Junior Billionaires Club, an animated TV series designed to teach children across Africa about financial health and wealth. By combining elements from The Richer Kids Club and JA’s entrepreneurship and financial-literacy offerings, young Africans who watch and participate in the show develop the knowledge and skills to make informed financial, business, career, and life decisions. 

The series features Lola, a 12-year-old Nigeria girl, and Kweku-Sika, a 10-year-old Ghanaian boy. The two animated characters go on adventures, through which they learn important financial lessons and grow in their leadership skills, civic awareness, and knowledge of African geography and history. 

According to Simi Nwogugu, CEO of JA Africa, “Expanding financial literacy across the continent is a key area of focus at JA Africa. This animated series gives us the opportunity to reach and educate millions of African children and young adults, especially those in hard-to-reach communities who may not have access to JA’s classroom programs or digital activities. 

“The series also spotlights inspiring African leaders,” Simi continues, “not only to celebrate them, but also to show young Africans that the continent has role models they can aspire to be like. It is our hope that schools across Africa will set up Junior Billionaires Clubs to inspire their students.” 

Once fully developed, the series will air in English, French, and Portuguese on traditional and digital-media channels.