San Joaquin A+
San Joaquin A+ is a Stockton, California nonprofit that connects 26+ high schools, 37+ employer partners, and Central Valley students through career-connected learning programs, paid summer internships, and regional workforce development initiatives funded entirely by grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersStockton, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What San Joaquin A+ does
San Joaquin A+ (SJA+, formerly A+ before its 2019 relaunch) is a Stockton, California-based nonprofit that operates career-connected learning programming for high school students across California's Central Valley. The organization functions as a regional intermediary connecting three constituent groups: 26+ partner high schools across San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and adjacent counties; 37+ employer partners spanning healthcare, agriculture, wine, construction, and technology; and the students themselves, of whom 1,882+ have participated since 2023. Its core offering bundles year-round career exploration (job site tours, industry panels, professional skills training) with a paid summer internship program that placed 104+ students in 2023 and generated $298,900+ in student wages.
The product portfolio has expanded beyond the original internship model into six distinct programs: the Growing Futures Initiative (agriculture-sector pathways, launched 2023), the Better Together Leadership Initiative (cross-sector leadership convening, launched 2026 in honor of late co-founder Don Shalvey), the Child Savings Account pilot (funded by a $4.6M California Student Aid Commission grant in 2021), the TEACH! Academy early-college teacher-prep program (2021), a High-Dosage Tutoring Initiative that uses Amira Learning's AI reading platform (2023), and recurring Career Connected Learning Summits. The High-Dosage Tutoring initiative is the only program with a meaningful technology component, and it relies on a third-party vendor.
Revenue is 100% grant-funded, sourced from California state agencies, national foundations (e.g., Genentech Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation alumni network), and pass-through institutional donors. All student services are free, and there is no earned-revenue pricing model. The organization is governed as an independent 501(c)-equivalent nonprofit with a small staff of roughly 10–15 people, led since March 2024 by CEO Kai Kung following Don Shalvey's death. Co-located at the Community Foundation of San Joaquin and Business Council San Joaquin County hub at 6731 Herndon Place, SJA+ increasingly functions as both a programmatic operator and a regional grantmaker, having issued a $300,000 RFP in March 2025 and distributed $200,000 in district grants in June 2025.
San Joaquin A+ firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- San Joaquin A+
- Legal name
- San Joaquin A+
- Website
- https://sjaplus.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- San Joaquin A+ is a Stockton, California nonprofit that connects 26+ high schools, 37+ employer partners, and Central Valley students through career-connected learning programs, paid summer internships, and regional workforce development initiatives funded entirely by grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
San Joaquin A+ industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Workforce Development Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Leadership, Service Learning & Volunteer-to-Career Pathways (EDAMAKAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Alumni, Peer & Community Networking Programs (EDAMAKAM), Workforce Development & Continuing Education Divisions (Noncredit) (EDAHADAG), After-School Academic Support Programs (Centers & Clubs) (EDAJALAM), Alumni Career Networking & Mentorship Programs (EDALAOAL)
Keywords
Where San Joaquin A+ is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stockton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
San Joaquin A+ business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Grant Funding: San Joaquin A+ operates primarily through grant funding from government agencies (California Student Aid Commission $4.6M grant), foundations, and institutional donors.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
San Joaquin A+ product offering
Product offeringCore offering
San Joaquin A+ is a nonprofit organization that connects schools and local employers to provide San Joaquin Valley high school students with career-connected learning, professional skills training, and paid summer internship opportunities. The organization embeds career pathways into school systems through direct district partnerships and recruits regional employers to host student interns and lead career panels and job site tours. Programs are delivered at no cost to students, with the organization operating as a regional intermediary that coordinates curriculum integration, employer outreach, student preparation, and internship matching.
Product overview
San Joaquin A+ is a career-connected learning nonprofit that operates as a unified platform of workforce development programs connecting students, schools, and employers across California's Central Valley. The core offerings include Career-Connected Learning Programs that provide year-round programming with job site tours, industry panels, and career exploration events; a Paid Internship Program matching students with employer partners for summer work experiences; the Better Together Leadership Initiative fostering cross-sector collaboration among regional leaders; the Growing Futures Initiative focused on agriculture career pathways; the Child Savings Account Program supporting college savings; and Professional Skills Training including resume workshops and interview prep. Programs operate through school partnerships and employer collaborations to prepare students for sustainable careers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Career-Connected Learning Programs Year-round programming that connects high school students with real-world learning experiences including job site tours, employer-led industry panels, career exploration events, and classroom instruction aligned to industry needs. Delivered through direct school district partnerships.
- Paid Internship Program
Quantifiable outcome
- 1,882+ students participated in programming since 2023
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use San Joaquin A+
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
San Joaquin A+ technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
San Joaquin A+ partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
21 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- University of the PacificflagshipUniversity of the Pacific partners with San Joaquin A+ to host all sessions of the Better Together Leadership Initiative (BTI) at their business school campus. This is a new transformative leadership program honoring Don Shalvey's legacy of cross-sector collaboration in education.
- Improve Your Tomorrow (IYT)coreSJA+ partners with Improve Your Tomorrow (IYT) to provide enrichment trips and career-connected learning programming for Stockton high school students, including the Wine Industry Career Opportunities Experience.
- Lodi Appellation Inclusion Collective (LAIC)coreLAIC partners with SJA+ and IYT to provide hands-on enrichment trips introducing Stockton students to career opportunities in the Lodi wine and agriculture industry as part of career-connected learning programs.
- Lodi WinegrowerscoreFounding partner in the Growing Futures Initiative focused on providing inclusive pathways to agriculture jobs in San Joaquin County through career-connected learning.
- Lodi Winegrape CommissioncoreKey partner in the Growing Futures Initiative and pilot program where students intern at the Commission, focused on agriculture career pathways.
- Stockton Children's CabinetcoreCore partner in the Child Savings Account Grant Program pilot, collaborating with San Joaquin A+ and local early childhood education providers.
- Valley Robotics AcademyminorPartner in the inaugural Growing Futures pilot program through a partnership with Lodi Unified and Delta College.
- San Joaquin County Office of Education (TEACH! Academy)corePartner in $650K planning grant to create TEACH! Academy - an early college high school focused on teacher preparation, partnering with San Joaquin Delta College.
- Stanislaus County Office of EducationcorePartner in $650K planning grant for agricultural-focused early college high school program at Valley Charter school in Modesto, partnering with Modesto Junior College.
- Aspire Vanguard SchoolcorePartner in $650K planning grant for health career pathways early college high school program, partnering with Modesto Junior College.
- Dignity Health St. Joseph's Medical CentercoreHealthcare employer partner providing career panels and internship opportunities. Currently collaborating with Healthforce Partners, Delta College, and Health Careers Academy on student pathway programs.
- Phillips Farms and Michael David WinerycoreAgriculture employer partners providing career pathway insights and internship opportunities in the wine and farming industry.
- University of the Pacific (Center for Business and Policy Research)coreResearch partner providing economic analysis and reports (Middle-Skill Jobs Analysis report) that inform SJA+ programming and regional workforce strategies.
- Community Foundation of San JoaquincoreCo-located nonprofit partner at 6731 Herndon Place headquarters, collaborating to create a hub for community nonprofits and enhance regional philanthropy.
- Business Council San Joaquin CountycoreCo-located nonprofit partner at 6731 Herndon Place headquarters, focused on supporting business and innovation in the region.
- El ConciliocoreCore partner for family outreach and enrollment in the Child Savings Account pilot program serving migrant and underserved communities.
- San Joaquin County Office of EducationcoreCore partner in Child Savings Account program and Growing Futures Initiative, providing educational infrastructure and resources.
- SJ Child Abuse Prevention CouncilcoreCore partner for family outreach and enrollment in the Child Savings Account pilot program.
- Creative Child CarecoreCore partner for family outreach in the Child Savings Account pilot program.
- San Joaquin Delta CollegecoreKey educational partner in multiple programs including TEACH! Academy and Growing Futures Initiative, providing college credit pathways.
- Modesto Junior CollegecoreEducational partner in early college high school programs for agriculture and health career pathways.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
San Joaquin A+ competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Year Up: National nonprofit providing career-connected learning and paid internships for opportunity youth, directly paralleling SJA+'s model of bridging education and employer talent pipelines.
- Genesys Works: Nonprofit that equips high school students from underserved communities with skills training and corporate internships — comparable workforce development intermediary serving high-school-age students.
- Per Scholas: Nonprofit providing tuition-free tech workforce training and employer connections for opportunity youth and adults — comparable workforce intermediary model with employer partnership focus.
- NAF (National Academy Foundation): National network of career academies embedding industry-themed pathways into high schools — directly comparable career-connected learning infrastructure model.
- Cristo Rey Network: Network of Catholic high schools integrating work-study corporate internships into the academic experience — closely aligned model combining K-12 education with employer-driven paid work.
Broad incumbents
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Large national youth services nonprofit delivering career exploration and workforce readiness programming — adjacent youth-development model with similar employer partnership structure.
- Aspen Institute (Education & Workforce Programs): Large policy-focused nonprofit running workforce and education initiatives including youth career-connected programs — operates as a broader incumbent with overlapping mission space.
- Junior Achievement USA: Large national nonprofit delivering career-readiness, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship programming to K-12 students — overlapping mission and target audience at much larger scale.
Others
- California Student Aid Commission: Major grantmaking partner rather than peer; relevant ecosystem participant as funder of SJA+'s $4.6M Child Savings Account pilot and a potential peer for other workforce development initiatives.
Emerging players
- KIPP Public Schools: National charter network focused on college and career readiness for underserved students; comparable mission of career pathway development for K-12 youth in underserved communities.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
San Joaquin A+ social profiles
Digital presenceSan Joaquin A+ financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
San Joaquin A+ leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
San Joaquin A+ funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
San Joaquin A+ M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about San Joaquin A+
What does San Joaquin A+ do?
San Joaquin A+ is a nonprofit organization that connects schools and local employers to provide San Joaquin Valley high school students with career-connected learning, professional skills training, and paid summer internship opportunities. The organization embeds career pathways into school systems through direct district partnerships and recruits regional employers to host student interns and lead career panels and job site tours. Programs are delivered at no cost to students, with the organization operating as a regional intermediary that coordinates curriculum integration, employer outreach, student preparation, and internship matching.
Is San Joaquin A+ a public or private company?
San Joaquin A+ is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was San Joaquin A+ founded?
San Joaquin A+ was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is San Joaquin A+ based?
San Joaquin A+ is headquartered in Stockton, United States, in the North America region.
How does San Joaquin A+ make money?
One revenue line is on record: grant Funding.
Who are San Joaquin A+'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Year Up, Genesys Works, Per Scholas, NAF (National Academy Foundation) and Cristo Rey Network. Broad incumbents are Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Aspen Institute (Education & Workforce Programs) and Junior Achievement USA. California Student Aid Commission is listed as an others. KIPP Public Schools is listed as an emerging player.
Does San Joaquin A+ have an API?
No public API is recorded for San Joaquin A+.
What industry is San Joaquin A+ in?
San Joaquin A+'s product category is Workforce Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAKAJ, Leadership, Service Learning & Volunteer-to-Career Pathways, with a secondary code of EDAMAKAM, Alumni, Peer & Community Networking Programs. Its NAICS code is 6117 and its SIC code is 8200.