MISSION AND HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

The Junior Achievement Serbia

http://www.ja-serbia.org/

MISSION

THE MISSION OF THE JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT is to recognize and serve to the economic education of the young through encouraging partnership between economy and education. The programs are implemented in order to understand young generation to understand:

• Importance and role of market economy in the development of the society;
• The role of business in the development of global world economy;
• Economic commitment to the resolution of key social and environmental issues;
• Economic commitment to the functioning in the accordance with ethic principles;
• Relevance of education at the working place;
• Economic effects on their future

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

Establishment

The Junior Achievement International is an affiliation of the Junior Achievement Inc which was established in 1919 in Springfield , Massachusetts by Horace Moses, then President of the "Strathmore Paper" Company.

Initial objective of the Junior Achievements was to offer young people knowledge needed to triumph in business. It was being enforced through educational programs which were realized after the regular school programs and in which participants had an opportunity to lead their own companies under the supervision of volunteer-businessmen.

Innovations and growth

Since 1974, the Junior Achievement has begun to develop programs within schools. Along with this new orientation, business people started to enter classrooms in order to transfer their knowledge to students during the school classes. Besides the training was so cheap, the programs could in this way reach a greater number of students than in the form of post-school lectures. During the time, the Junior Achievement expanded so called K-12 school schedule. JA plans to increase a number of students from the current 6 to 11 millions.

International expansion

In 1955, the Junior Achievement started its activity in Canada . Following that, the program was implemented in a few countries including Great Britain , Mexico , and the Philippines . Till 1989, the program was activated in more than 15 countries. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall the Junior Achievement has attained an incredibly dynamic growth. The JA programs began to be implemented by the ex-Soviet states and interest for the development of the economic private sector became significant in other regions such as Latin America , Africa , the Caribbean , and Asia .

The Junior Achievement International was achieved in 1994 to develop the JA programs out of USA . As a result, the Junior Achievement International grew up in an organization serving to 6 millions students a year in 112 world countries. The program was developed in 36 languages. The Junior Achievement is a non-profit organization with the Governing Board consisting of people from the private sector, being registered as a non-governmental organization. It I supported by international corporations, foundations, individuals, and organizations for development.

Beside the regional offices for Central and Eastern Serbia located in Zlin, the Czech Republic , JA opened regional offices in South Asia , Brussels ( Western Europe ), Cote d'Ivoire (Francophile Africa), and Jordan ( Middle East ).

WHY THE JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT?

The growth of JA was affected by many conditions. First, in many countries trying to attract foreign investments, the Junior Achievement programs have very successful results in promoting market ambient, especially in the developing countries. On example, recent investigation in Gambia showed that even 98% of students who participated in the JA programs show better attitudes toward business as a result of participation in the Junior Achievement.

Second, broad publics will not be able to support economic reforms if do not understand both risks and advantages which follows it. The Junior Achievement programs promote economic literacy, which finally leads to sustainable economic development. Indeed, there is no country which achieved ever achieved sustainable economic development without solidly developed private sector.

Finally, by bringing volunteers with business experience in the classrooms to support the program, the Junior Achievement International creates future generations of entrepreneurs, managers, creators of economic policy, and citizens who will vote in favor of values of free entrepreneurship.

Long-term importance

long with the opening of the world wide market through relevant market agreements and turn-over from central-planned to market-oriented economies, role and importance of the Junior Achievements in educating young ages in sense of risks and advantages which business brings, continues to grow.