Volunteering has always been a cornerstone of our company culture. From helping communities build more sustainable food systems to participating in road races and other charitable events, we’re always looking for ways to give back.
In keeping with our broader community advancement program, we’ve chosen “access to higher education” as our main area of focus in the years ahead—and a cornerstone of our volunteering efforts. On the heels of several successful partnerships, we recently partnered with Junior Achievement USA, a national nonprofit dedicated to creating positive change in the lives of young people.
Stepping Up for Good
Scheduled to coincide with National Tutoring Week (October 3-7), this U.S. firm-wide initiative was both inspiring and galvanizing, impacting dozens of students in grades 6-12.
As part of the program, CRA team members volunteered for one or both of two JA programs:
- Sharing their expertise over a five-week series of hour-long, topic-specific sessions.
- A single, five-hour course dedicated to a specific field (known as “JA in a Day”).
The initiative was a rousing success, with 17 team members stepping up to lend a hand—and their subject area expertise—to JA students. Students from eight different classrooms participated in the program, learning about everything from business communication and financial literacy to what a career in consulting could look like. Eighty-nine percent of students that CRA employees taught in the JA program come from low-income households.
We’re tremendously proud of the time and effort our team members put in to make this an experience to remember. It’s the kind of work that JA has been doing for more than a century—and that is needed more than ever before.
Doing Good Work
Founded in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1919, JA’s mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed. Through lessons focused on financial literacy, work- and career-readiness, and entrepreneurship, the organization aims to empower students to achieve their full potential—in the classroom and beyond.
Over the years, that impact has only grown. In a 2020 poll, 81% of JA alumni said the organization made them think about new opportunities or career paths, while 55% said JA was able to connect what they learned in the classroom to real-life scenarios. More impressive still, 20% now work in the same field as their former volunteer.
CRA was honored to participate in this enriching, inspiring endeavor and is looking forward to partnering with JA on more initiatives in the future.
