Junior Achievement and EY to Bring Thousands of Entrepreneurs into Classrooms during National Entrepreneurship Month in November

JA Launch Lesson Program Aimed at Introducing Teens to the Idea of Business Ownership

For the third year in a row, Junior Achievement and EY will be bringing entrepreneurs into high school classrooms across the country during November, National Entrepreneurship Month, to share their experience with teens and to encourage them to consider business ownership as a career option. Each year, the initiative, known as JA Launch Lesson, reaches nearly 80,000 high school students across the United States.

"Our research shows that the more exposure teens have to entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial concepts, the greater the chances that they will try starting a business as an adult," said Jack E. Kosakowski, President and CEO of Junior Achievement USA. "This is especially important now given that the growth of job-creating startups continues to be relatively flat compared to historic trends."

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, while total business applications have rebounded and increased significantly from the depths of the Great Recession, the number of applications for businesses most likely to employ people – those considered "high propensity" or including planned wages for employees – continues to hover at the levels seen following the 2008 economic downturn.

JA Launch Lesson is a 50-minute educational experience built around the theme of entrepreneurship that creates a point-of-entry for students, volunteers and educators. It is delivered locally by entrepreneurs in classrooms, after-school facilities, and other student venues around the United States during National Entrepreneurship Month. Entrepreneurs are provided a guide by Junior Achievement that gives them the opportunity to connect with students, provide relevant information about their company and entrepreneurial journey, and share advice and next steps for students who are interested in starting their own business.

"We are grateful to continue collaborating with Junior Achievement USA to promote entrepreneurship and support the next generation workforce. This one of the many ways that EY professionals leverage skills-based volunteering to fulfill our purpose of building a better working world," says Marna Ricker, JA USA board member and Americas Vice Chair of Tax Services of Ernst & Young LLP.

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