Junior Achievement of Central Iowa

What Junior Achievement of Central Iowa does

Junior Achievement of Central Iowa is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization founded around 1955 and operating as a chartered local chapter of Junior Achievement USA / JA Worldwide. The organization delivers K-12 programs in financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and work readiness to students across Central Iowa, serving 43,390 students, 199 schools, and delivering 505,686 contact hours via 1,138 classes annually, supported by a network of 3,746 active volunteers.

The core technology platform consists of experiential learning centers — JA BizTown (a mock town simulation for grades 4-6 covering job applications, check writing, and business operations) and JA Finance Park (a financial literacy laboratory where middle and high school students manage simulated adult life scenarios) — plus the 3DE high school instructional model that integrates business case studies into core subjects. The broader product surface includes 40+ classroom-based, virtual, and after-school programs (JA Company Program, JA Personal Finance, JA Titan simulation, JA Career Success, JA Job Shadow, etc.), delivered through school district partnerships, volunteer-led classroom instruction, and digital extensions such as JA Finance Park Virtual.

The organization is funded entirely through corporate sponsorships (Wells Fargo, Bank of America, F&G Annuities and Life, Berkshire Hathaway Energy Foundation, Sammons Financial, Businessolver, and others), individual donations, foundation grants, and event revenue (e.g., the annual JA Golf Classic). All programs are provided at no cost to schools, educators, or students. Distribution is regional within Central Iowa via direct school partnerships, on-site experiential center visits, and a corporate volunteer network. The 3DE model has demonstrated a 92.1% four-year cohort graduation rate among participating schools.

Name

Junior Achievement of Central Iowa

Legal name

Junior Achievement of Central Iowa, Inc.®

Website

https://centraliowa.ja.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Junior Achievement of Central Iowa is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers K-12 financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and work readiness programs to 43,390 students across 199 schools in Central Iowa through experiential learning centers, classroom instruction, and a volunteer network of 3,746 corporate and community partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Financial Literacy Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

Keywords

• Youth financial literacy
• K-12 entrepreneurship education
• Experiential learning simulations
• Career readiness programs
• Nonprofit educational services

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Moines

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorships: Revenue generated from individual donors, corporate sponsors, and foundation grants that fund educational programs delivered to local students
2. Program Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors fund specific programs like JA BizTown storefronts, JA Finance Park pods, and 3DE school partnerships

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Junior Achievement of Central Iowa delivers K-12 educational programs in financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and work readiness through volunteer-led classroom instruction, two experiential learning centers (JA BizTown and JA Finance Park), the 3DE instructional model that integrates business case studies into high school core subjects, and a suite of 30+ standalone classroom and digital programs. All programs are provided at no cost to schools, students, or families, funded through corporate sponsorships, individual donations, and foundation grants.

Product overview

Junior Achievement of Central Iowa is a nonprofit educational organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of K-12 programs in financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and work readiness. The organization operates on a platform-plus-modules architecture featuring experiential learning centers (JA BizTown and JA Finance Park) as anchor programs, complemented by extensive classroom-based, virtual, and after-school programs. The flagship experiential centers provide immersive simulations where students practice real-world skills, while the broader program catalog includes standalone modules covering topics from personal finance (JA Personal Finance, JA Financial Literacy) to entrepreneurship (JA Company Program, JA Be Entrepreneurial) to career preparation (JA Career Success, JA Job Shadow). Programs span kindergarten through high school with delivery methods including classroom-based instruction, experiential learning centers, virtual simulations, and after-school activities. The organization leverages volunteer networks from local businesses to deliver hands-on educational experiences aligned with academic standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 3DE: An innovative high school instructional model that re-engineers education to be more relevant, experiential, and authentically connected to real-world concepts. 3DE integrates business connectivity directly into core subjects.
• JA BizTown
• JA Finance Park

Products and services

• JA BizTown An experiential learning laboratory for elementary and middle school students (grades 4-6) combining 9 hours of pre-visit curriculum with a 4.5-hour visit to a fully interactive mock town that simulates day-to-day functions of thriving communities, where students apply for jobs, write checks, maintain check registers, service customers, and become business owners.
• JA Finance Park A financial literacy laboratory for middle and high school students that fosters financial literacy, lifestyle/career planning, and sound money management skills. Students receive a simulated life scenario with income, occupation, family situation, and debt, then rotate through learning stations covering groceries, vacations, insurance, rent, and more.
• 3DE (3-Dimensional Education) An innovative high school instructional model that re-engineers education to be more relevant, experiential, and authentically connected to real-world complexities by integrating business connectivity directly into core subjects, achieving a 92.1% four-year cohort graduation rate among 3DE schools.
• JA Classroom Programs Award-winning K-12 programs delivered by corporate and community volunteers that connect classrooms to communities through financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and work readiness curriculum, coordinated through educator outreach and school district partnerships.
• JA Finance Park Virtual A virtual version of the JA Finance Park simulation for students who have completed the educator-led curriculum, featuring a fully redeveloped simulation with entry-level (middle school) and advanced (high school) implementation options.
• JA Company Program Empowers high school students to fill a need or solve a problem in their community and teaches practical skills required to conceptualize, capitalize, and manage their own business venture.
• JA Be Entrepreneurial A reimagined, modular learning experience teaching the mindset and skills needed for aspiring entrepreneurs using the Lean Model Canvas for rapid business planning.
• JA Personal Finance A high school program allowing students to experience the interrelationship between today's financial decisions and future financial freedom, covering earning, budgeting, savings, credit, investing, and debt management.
• JA Career Success A comprehensive learning experience introducing high school students to the workplace through realistic work experiences in multiple departments of a fictional company.
• JA Titan A simulation-based program where high school students compete as business CEOs in the phone industry, experiencing how organizations evaluate alternatives and make decisions.
• JA Take Stock in Your Future A program in which students discover the benefits and challenges of investing in the stock market as part of a broader, long-term investment strategy through a simulated stock market competition.
• JA Job Shadow A comprehensive experience helping students design an individualized career path with blended and self-guided activities using a design-thinking structure.
• JA Pathways A career pathway exploration program helping students identify and pursue educational and career goals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92.1% four-year cohort graduation rate among 3DE schools, a 26% increase compared to 2018 rates for Title I Schools
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Wells FargoflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerFlagship sponsor for JA Finance Park Powered by Wells Fargo, providing major funding and volunteer support for the financial literacy program serving middle and high school students.
• Iowa Department of Insurance and Financial ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner providing support and collaboration for financial literacy education initiatives.
• Greater Des Moines PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic development organization sponsor for JA BizTown.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Junior Achievement of Chicago: Large JA chapter delivering BizTown, Finance Park, and 3DE programs across the Chicago metro. Same program catalog, sponsor-funded nonprofit model, and K-12 student focus.
• Junior Achievement of New York: Another chartered JA chapter delivering the same BizTown, Finance Park, and 3DE programs in a different metro region. Direct chapter-level peer with comparable program portfolio, sponsor model, and volunteer-driven delivery.
• Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA): National career-oriented student organization for middle, high, and college students preparing for business careers. Overlaps with JA on financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and career readiness curricula for K-12 students.
• DECA: National student organization focused on entrepreneurship, marketing, finance, and hospitality career preparation for middle and high schoolers. Comparable target audience and program categories (entrepreneurship/work readiness) with a different delivery model (student-run chapters).
• 4-H (Iowa State University Extension): National youth development program (Iowa 4-H) delivering financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and career-readiness programming to K-12 youth. Comparable target audience, nonprofit/grant-funded model, and Iowa geographic footprint.
• Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE): Nonprofit delivering entrepreneurship education to high school students from under-resourced communities. Closely comparable mission (financial literacy and entrepreneurship for young people) with a K-12 nonprofit, donor-funded model.

Regional players

• Take Stock in Children: Nonprofit providing mentoring, scholarships, and financial literacy to at-risk youth primarily in Florida but with a comparable mission and K-12 student support model. Overlaps in financial literacy and career readiness program delivery.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa: Regional youth development nonprofit in the same Central Iowa geography. While broader in mission (not specifically financial literacy), competes for the same corporate sponsor dollars, volunteer pools, and school district partnerships.

Emerging players

• EverFi: Ed-tech platform providing digital financial literacy, STEM, and career readiness curriculum to K-12 schools. Competes with JA Classroom Programs on digital delivery of overlapping content areas (personal finance, entrepreneurship).

Broad incumbents

• Junior Achievement USA (JA Worldwide): National parent network of which JA of Central Iowa is a chartered chapter. Operates the same K-12 financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and work readiness programs and shares brand, curriculum, and sponsor relationships—directly comparable as the umbrella organization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/JACentralIowa
• Facebookfacebook.com/jacentraliowa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jacentraliowa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Iowa