Junior Achievement of Central Maryland

What Junior Achievement of Central Maryland does

Junior Achievement of Central Maryland is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and local affiliate of Junior Achievement USA, headquartered at 1725 Twin Springs Rd., Baltimore, MD. Founded in 1919 at the national level, the organization delivers experiential financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship education programs to K-12 students across Central Maryland at no cost to participants. The organization served 29,271 students through 971 classes at 231 schools with 2,781 volunteers and 457,332 contact hours during the 2024-2025 school year. Programs are delivered via in-school volunteer instruction, the JA Learning Platform (an online LMS), and physical and virtual simulation experiences including JA BizTown (simulated city experience), JA Finance Park (personal finance simulation), JA Company Program (teen business creation), and JA Inspire (career exploration). The portfolio spans more than 25 distinct programs covering elementary through post-secondary audiences.

The organization's revenue model relies on diversified funding streams including corporate sponsorships, individual donations, foundation grants (Kahlert Foundation, Marion I. & Henry J. Knott Foundation, Middendorf Foundation), and ancillary facility rental income. Major corporate partners include Bank of America, Northrop Grumman, T. Rowe Price, Johns Hopkins Medicine, and Chick-fil-A Foundation, while the national JA organization has received substantial funding from KPMG Foundation ($1.75M for JA Finance Park), The Hartford ($1.5M for JA Company Program), Accenture ($1.1M for work readiness), and MacKenzie Scott ($38.8M). The organization employs 11-50 staff and operates with a lean structure that leverages a large volunteer network for program delivery.

Junior Achievement of Central Maryland's go-to-market approach is community-led, reaching students through direct school district partnerships, volunteer business professionals who teach curriculum in classrooms, and corporate sponsors who expand mission reach. The organization maintains strategic partnerships with the Maryland State Department of Education, University System of Maryland, and Teach For America. The organization recently unveiled a new Youth Workforce and Innovation Center and launched new programs including the JA Entrepreneurship Accelerator 2026 and JA Inspire Virtual 2026, signaling ongoing investment in expanded programming and facility capabilities.

Name

Junior Achievement of Central Maryland

Legal name

Junior Achievement of Central Maryland, Inc.

Website

https://centralmaryland.ja.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Junior Achievement of Central Maryland is a Baltimore-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliate of Junior Achievement USA that delivers free experiential financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship programs to K-12 students across Central Maryland, reaching 29,271 students in 231 schools during 2024-2025 through volunteer-led instruction and virtual simulations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Education and Workforce Readiness Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Virtual Test Prep & Online Supplemental Instruction (K–12) (EDAJADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK), Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

Keywords

• Youth financial literacy
• Workforce readiness education
• Entrepreneurship education programs
• K-12 career exploration
• Experiential learning programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partners fund programs delivered to local students at no cost. Sponsors receive branding, volunteer opportunities, and association with youth workforce development.
2. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute to support free programs for students. Programs are delivered at no cost to students.
3. Foundation Grants: Grants from foundations such as The Kahlert Foundation, Marion I. & Henry J. Knott Foundation, and Middendorf Foundation support program operations.
4. Facility Rental: JA facility is available for group rental by special arrangement for extended hours or weekends, providing additional revenue stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Junior Achievement of Central Maryland delivers K-12 educational programs focused on financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship for students in Central Maryland. Programs include hands-on simulations such as JA BizTown (simulated town) and JA Finance Park (budget simulation), teen entrepreneurship through the JA Company Program, and career exploration via JA Inspire. Programs are delivered at no cost to students through in-school volunteer-led instruction, virtual platforms, and the JA Learning Management System, and are funded by corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and individual donations.

Product overview

Junior Achievement of Central Maryland is a nonprofit educational organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of experiential learning programs focused on financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship for K-12 students. The core programs include JA BizTown (simulated town experience for elementary students), JA Finance Park (personal finance curriculum with simulation for middle/high school), JA Company Program (teen entrepreneurship with actual business creation), and JA Inspire (career exploration platform). Programs are delivered through a learning management system (JA Learning Platform) and are provided at no cost to students. Additional offerings include supplementary resources, career speakers series, job shadowing experiences, and the JA Entrepreneurship Accelerator for young entrepreneurs ages 16-24. Programs span elementary, middle, and high school levels with both in-person and virtual delivery options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• JA BizTown A simulated town experience for elementary school students where they run businesses, manage personal finances, and learn civic responsibility in a hands-on learning environment.
• JA Finance Park (Entry Level) Middle school financial literacy curriculum where students develop personal budget and money-management skills through teacher-led instruction followed by a simulated community visit.
• JA Finance Park (Virtual) Virtual version of the Finance Park program enabling remote delivery of personal finance curriculum and budget simulation experiences.
• JA Company Program Teen entrepreneurship program where students ages 15-19 start and run an actual business enterprise under volunteer business mentor guidance.
• JA Company Program Pop-Up Abbreviated version of the Company Program offering condensed entrepreneurial learning experiences.
• JA Job Shadow Workplace experience program connecting students with professionals to observe career paths and workplace environments.
• JA Inspire Entry Career exploration and workforce readiness program introducing young people to essential skills and career pathways.
• JA Inspire Virtual Virtual career exploration platform with access to virtual career booths, downloadable resources, and badges for career preparation.
• JA It's My Future Program focused on career planning, job searching, and workplace skills preparation for middle school students.
• JA It's My Job (Soft Skills) Soft skills development program teaching workplace competencies including communication, teamwork, and professionalism.
• JA Career Speakers Series Program connecting students with industry professionals who share career experiences and insights.
• JA Rising Women Program empowering female students through mentorship, leadership development, and exposure to women business leaders.
• JA Entrepreneurship Accelerator Accelerator program for young entrepreneurs ages 16-24 featuring workshops, mentorship, and panel discussions with industry leaders.
• JA Our Community Elementary program introducing students to community concepts, civic responsibility, and basic economics.
• JA Our Community 2.0 Updated version of the Our Community program with enhanced digital learning components.
• JA Ourselves Early elementary program focused on basic economics concepts and individual decision-making.
• JA Our Nation Elementary program exploring national economic systems, government, and citizenship.
• JA Our Region Elementary program examining regional economics and geographic influences on business.
• JA Our Families Elementary program teaching family economics and household financial concepts.
• JA Our City Elementary program focused on urban economics, city services, and community interactions.
• JA Personal Finance 2.0 Updated personal finance curriculum covering budgeting, credit, saving, and financial decision-making for secondary students.
• JA BizTown Self Guided (Adventures) Self-guided digital adventure activities extending the JA BizTown experience for independent or classroom use.
• JA Learning Platform Online learning management system (LMS) providing access to JA educational content, programs, and resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• 29,271 students reached locally in 2024-2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• University System of MarylandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 August 2016USM partnered with JA on B-Power Initiative to increase education and career opportunities for Baltimore students.
• Maryland State Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSDE partnered with JACMD to launch JA Entrepreneurship Summer Experience, a three-week program designed to retain and motivate up to 200 high school students considered 'special' or 'non-traditional' to complete their career and technical education.
• Teach For AmericamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partnership where Teach For America publicizes opportunity for corps members to bring JA to classrooms and introduces alumni to volunteer and employment opportunities.
• Ernst & Young LLP (EY)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEY supports JA through JA Launch Lesson program delivery by entrepreneurs in classrooms, and conducts annual surveys on teen career and financial topics.
• AIGmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducted survey with JA on teen retirement planning and attitudes, revealing teens' concerns about parents' preparedness for retirement.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Junior Achievement of South Florida: Regional JA affiliate delivering the full JA curriculum suite to K-12 students in South Florida with comparable corporate partnerships, volunteer-driven program delivery, and facility-based experiential learning components.
• Junior Achievement of New York: Another major local Junior Achievement affiliate delivering the same JA curriculum portfolio (BizTown, Finance Park, Company Program, Inspire) to K-12 students in a major U.S. metropolitan market, with similar volunteer-led in-school delivery and corporate sponsorship model.
• Junior Achievement of Georgia: Large regional JA chapter serving metro Atlanta and Georgia, operating JA BizTown facilities, career exploration programs, and a similar corporate-sponsored volunteer-delivery model in a comparable mid-Atlantic/Southern market.
• Junior Achievement of Delaware: Nearby Mid-Atlantic JA chapter serving Delaware schools with the standard JA financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship programs, offering direct geographic and demographic comparability to Central Maryland.
• Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania: Regional JA chapter serving western Pennsylvania schools and students with the standard JA program portfolio, comparable in size and operational structure to the Central Maryland affiliate.
• Junior Achievement of the Chesapeake Bay: Adjacent Mid-Atlantic JA chapter serving the Chesapeake Bay region of Maryland with overlapping geography and the same JA curriculum suite, making it the closest geographic peer to the Central Maryland chapter.
• Junior Achievement of Dallas (North Texas): Major regional JA chapter serving the Dallas-Fort Worth area with the same JA program portfolio, multiple BizTown/Finance Park facilities, and a similar corporate partner ecosystem anchored by major employers.

Broad incumbents

• Junior Achievement Worldwide: Global umbrella organization that licenses the Junior Achievement and JA trademarks to national and local chapters worldwide, providing the international brand and curriculum standards that the Central Maryland chapter operates under.
• Junior Achievement USA (National): National parent organization of the Junior Achievement network that develops curriculum, manages national corporate partnerships (KPMG, FedEx, Allstate, Hartford), and provides brand licensing to all local chapters including Central Maryland.

Emerging players

• Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE): National nonprofit focused on entrepreneurship education for youth in under-resourced communities, offering a competing curriculum to JA Company Program and targeting similar school district and corporate partnership channels.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ja_maryland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Junior Achievement of Central Maryland