Hope For Youth

JP Morgan Junior Achievement

JP Morgan Chase volunteers from a program called Junior Achievement, spent the day at Hope For Youth and impacted 20 of our young adults who are currently students in high school and college. Youth from two of our programs filled the large conference room at Hope For Youth ready and eager to learn about money management and all things related. The program was led by two JP Morgan Chase workers from a branch in New York City, the Vice President Pamela Concannon and the Home Lending Manager Baldwin Lee, both of whom have been with the company for about 15 years, making them rich with knowledge and experience.

As mentioned, these dedicated employees are a part of the Junior Achievement Program through JP Morgan Chase, which is the world’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. Pamela and Baldwin were able to engage the youth by sharing their own relatable experiences of working as young adults and learning how to manage their newly gained savings at that time.

When the youth entered the room, each received a folder filled with informational pamphlets that contained hands on activities to bring alive the concepts of financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. The group really seemed to enjoy an activity where they were given a make believe job and had to figure out an appropriate budget based on their salary, evaluating their options for housing, transportation, food, entertainment, clothing and other expenses. Activities such as these allowed the youth to critically think about priorities and strategies in regards to spending their money.

Additionally, Pamela and Baldwin helped the group identify their interests and skills, and discover how such things can overlap when deciding on a career. In this manner, a huge focus of the program was put towards highlighting their strengths in order to inspire them to dream big, be happy, and reach their full potential. The youth were exposed to all of the possibilities that lay before them, realizing they can choose from different paths such as college, a specific trade, starting their own business, etc.

Overall, the Junior Achievement program proved to be especially relevant as most of the youth in the class were in the process of either graduating from high school or acquiring work for the first time. By teaching this group how to manage their money and succeed in the workforce, it inspired and prepared them for the opportunities and realities of work and life that lie ahead of them. Hope For Youth would like to thank Pamela and Baldwin for volunteering their time to teach such important life skills to our youth, we look forward to collaborating again with JP Morgan Chase in the future!