MINNESOTA, USA — Junior Achievement North (JA North), an organization that serves students in Minnesota, North Dakota and western Wisconsin, received a $1.9 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.
The gift is part of over $30 million donated to Junior Achievement USA organizations in 26 communities around the country. According to a statement from JA North, Scott's donation is the largest ever from a single donor in the organization's 103-year history.
“We greatly appreciate the incredible generosity of MacKenzie Scott for this amazing gift to our organization,” said Sara Dziuk, president and CEO of Junior Achievement North. “We see this investment as a recognition of all the great work taking place in our community because of the passion and commitment of the business leaders, educators, volunteers, and other partners who support Junior Achievement locally. This donation will allow us to make even better use of other community investments to positively impact the lives of the young people we serve.”
JA North connects students to volunteers across industries to teach important life skills. The organization has been serving students since 1949 by teaching young people skills in career readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy.
The organization says it plans to further "deepen their commitment" to serving students across local communities by offering career fair experiences and supporting an entrepreneurship curriculum for high school students, among other initiatives.
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