Junior Achievement North
Junior Achievement North is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit chapter of Junior Achievement USA delivering experiential financial-literacy, career-readiness, and entrepreneurship programs to over 100,000 K-12 students annually across Minnesota, North Dakota, and western Wisconsin through school partnerships and learning centers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1919
- HeadquartersSaint Paul, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Junior Achievement North does
Junior Achievement North is a regional 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 41-1424988) and an independently governed chapter of Junior Achievement USA, headquartered at 1745 University Ave W in St. Paul, Minnesota. The organization delivers experiential financial-literacy, career-readiness, and entrepreneurship programming to K-12 students across Minnesota, North Dakota, and western Wisconsin through five regional offices (West Fargo, Madison Lake, St. Cloud, Owatonna, New Ulm) and a flagship Experiential Learning Center. In 2024 it served over 100,000 students with nearly 900,000 contact hours, with nearly half of participants coming from economically disadvantaged backgrounds qualifying for free and reduced lunch.
Its core product portfolio consists of five proprietary experiential programs: JA BizTown (an 18-shop simulated city for elementary and middle schoolers), JA Finance Park (a personal-finance simulation offered on-site, as pop-ups, and virtually), 3DE by Junior Achievement (a case-based methodology with 16 real-world business cases across grades 9–12), JA Company Program (student-launched ventures in grades 9–12), and JA Dream Accelerator (a career-exploration experience launched on-site in February 2026 at the Hemak Learning Center with capacity for up to 10,000 students annually and a roadmap toward 45,000 at full scale). Programs are correlated to state academic standards and are co-developed with corporate case partners including Cargill, 3M, APi Group, Bank of America, and U.S. Bank.
The organization is funded through a diversified mix of corporate sponsorships and grants, foundation gifts, individual donations, and signature fundraising events (Company of the Year Celebration, Ignite, Hall of Fame, Play for JA bigBowl). Pricing for end users is effectively zero, with the model subsidized by donors; recent material inflows include a Bank of America $200,000 Neighborhood Builder grant (2025), a CenterPoint Energy Foundation $150,000 grant (2024), WEM Foundation lead-gift support for 3DE, and an $8.5M multi-year Dream Accelerator campaign. Distribution is primarily field-driven through school-district partnerships and educator onboarding, augmented by on-site visits to the St. Paul learning centers, mobile pop-up units, and virtual delivery — with the volunteer network (managed via VolunteerHub) functioning as a core operational asset.
Junior Achievement North firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Junior Achievement North
- Legal name
- Junior Achievement North
- Website
- https://janorth.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1919
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Junior Achievement North is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit chapter of Junior Achievement USA delivering experiential financial-literacy, career-readiness, and entrepreneurship programs to over 100,000 K-12 students annually across Minnesota, North Dakota, and western Wisconsin through school partnerships and learning centers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Junior Achievement North industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Education and Financial Literacy Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (6117)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Alternative Education & Dropout Prevention / Re-Engagement Programs (EDANAJAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Online Credit Recovery & Alternative Pathways (Virtual) (EDAJADAF)
Keywords
Where Junior Achievement North is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Paul
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Junior Achievement North business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donors contribute financial gifts to support JA North's mission of providing affordable programming to students. The organization emphasizes accessibility for communities served.
- Corporate Sponsorships and Grants: Corporate partners provide sponsorships for programs, events, and specific initiatives. Major grants include Bank of America Neighborhood Builder ($200,000 over two years) and CenterPoint Energy Foundation ($150,000).
- Event Revenue: Signature events including Company of Year Celebration, Ignite, Hall of Fame, and Play for JA bigBowl generate fundraising revenue while engaging the community. Ignite 2024 raised nearly $110,000.
- Corporate Team Events: Companies engage JA North through team-building events like Play for JA bigBowl, with recommended fundraising starting points of $100/lane or $125/bowler and $7,500 minimum per event.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Play for JA bigBowl corporate team events |
| Unit Pricing | Annual | Dream Accelerator program cost per student at scale |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Junior Achievement North product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Junior Achievement North designs and delivers experiential K-12 educational programs — including simulated city experiences (BizTown), personal finance simulations (Finance Park), case-based high school learning (3DE), student-run business ventures (Company Program), and career exploration (Dream Accelerator) — to schools and students across Minnesota, North Dakota, and western Wisconsin. Programs are delivered free or at subsidized cost through school partnerships, on-site learning labs, mobile units, and virtual formats, with the cost of delivery funded by donations, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants.
Product overview
Junior Achievement North offers a portfolio of experiential learning programs for K-12 students. The core offerings include: JA BizTown (simulated city for elementary/middle school students), JA Finance Park (personal finance simulation for middle/high school), 3DE by Junior Achievement (case-based methodology high school model for grades 9-12), JA Company Program (student entrepreneurship venture program), and JA Dream Accelerator (career exploration experience for high schoolers). Programs correlate with state academic standards and are delivered through on-site learning labs, mobile pop-up units, and virtual formats.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- JA North: Regional brand name for Junior Achievement North used in marketing and communications.
Products and services
- JA BizTown Experiential learning simulation where elementary and middle school students run a simulated city with 18 shops including banks, restaurants, construction companies, and media outlets, exploring careers, financial decisions, and community engagement. Delivered in-person at the St. Paul Hemak facility and virtually as JA BizTown Adventures.
- JA Finance Park Personal finance education program for middle and high school students featuring immersive real-life career and family budgeting scenarios. Available as On-Site, Pop-Up, and Virtual formats.
- 3DE by Junior Achievement Pioneering high school instructional model using case-based methodology where students complete 16 real-world case experiences throughout grades 9-12, developing competencies in critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, cultural agility, and self-direction.
- JA Company Program Immersive program for grades 9-12 where students identify community needs and launch and manage actual business ventures, developing skills in entrepreneurship, problem-solving, teamwork, and financial management through blended in-person and digital learning modules on sales, marketing, finance, and supply chain.
- JA Dream Accelerator Interactive career exploration experience for high school students combining classroom learning with simulation to help students uncover their passions and envision meaningful future pathways, inspiring an entrepreneurial mindset. Capacity to serve up to 45,000 students annually at scale through on-site and mobile units.
Quantifiable outcome
- 91% of students learned how to work effectively with others
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Junior Achievement North
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Junior Achievement North technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Junior Achievement North partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- Saint Paul Public SchoolscoreMulti-year strategic partnership launching 3DE by Junior Achievement at three Saint Paul Public Schools (Como Park Senior High, Harding High School, Washington Technology Magnet). Partnership delivers case-based learning to 9th and 10th graders with plans to expand grade by grade and eventually to 10 Twin Cities-area schools by 2030.
- U.S. BankcoreLongstanding relationship including philanthropy and volunteerism. In 2023, U.S. Bank gave more than $1.7 million in foundation grants and corporate contributions to Junior Achievement network chapters. 40 U.S. Bank employees served on JA chapter boards with over 5,100 volunteer hours.
- Delta Air LinesflagshipPresenting sponsor of Company of Year Celebration, the culminating showcase of student entrepreneurial learning. Supports student companies pitching their ventures to judges and public in expo-like setting.
- CargillcoreCorporate partner providing real-world case challenges for 3DE students. Hosted culminating event at Cargill headquarters in Wayzata where nearly 300 ninth-grade students presented case findings to judges.
- 3McoreCorporate partner providing case challenges for 3DE program as part of the learning model's focus on competencies like critical thinking, collaboration, and communication.
- APi Groupcore3DE Champion partner supporting the innovative high school learning model. Provides case challenges and volunteer coaches to guide students through real-world business scenarios.
- DeluxecoreCorporate sponsor supporting Ignite event and entrepreneurship programming. Operates Small Business Solutions shop in JA BizTown simulation.
- Bank of AmericacoreEmpowering sponsor for Ignite event, supporting student entrepreneurship and company program. Combined with Neighborhood Builder partnership.
- Ramsey CountycoreLocal government partner providing case challenges for 3DE students as part of authentic real-world problem-solving experiences.
- Liberty Diversified InternationalcoreInspiring sponsor for Company of Year Celebration supporting student entrepreneurial achievements.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Junior Achievement North competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DECA: International student organization preparing young people for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management; competes with JA North for high-school student engagement and corporate sponsorship of business/entrepreneurship programming.
- Junior Achievement of Chicago: Large regional Junior Achievement chapter operating in a different metropolitan market (Chicago metro), delivering the same core suite (BizTown, Finance Park, 3DE, Company Program). Highly comparable in mission, programs, funding model, and reliance on corporate/CSR partnerships.
- Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE): National nonprofit focused specifically on youth entrepreneurship education for underserved students — overlapping target population, similar experiential pedagogy, and shared competition for school district slots and CSR dollars.
- Junior Achievement of New York: Another flagship regional JA chapter serving the NY metro with the same experiential learning portfolio (BizTown, Finance Park, 3DE). Directly comparable in scale, program mix, and dependence on corporate financial partners.
Emerging players
- EVERFI: Digital K-12 curriculum provider (including financial literacy and career readiness) competing for school district contracts and CSR-funded deployments; partial overlap as a digital alternative to JA North's simulation-based approach.
Broad incumbents
- 4-H: National youth development organization (Cooperative Extension system) with overlapping K-12 audience, life-skill curricula, and reliance on volunteer networks; broad incumbent in adjacent rather than directly competing programming categories.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth services organization delivering after-school programming including financial literacy and career readiness; comparable in scale, K-12 audience, and funding model, but broader mission than JA North's business/entrepreneurship focus.
Regional players
- Junior Achievement of Central Texas: Mid-sized regional JA chapter delivering the same national program suite in a different geography (Austin/Central Texas region); comparable operating model, scale, and corporate-partner-driven revenue mix.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Junior Achievement North social profiles
Digital presenceJunior Achievement North compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Junior Achievement North financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Junior Achievement North leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Junior Achievement North funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Junior Achievement North 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 Junior Achievement North
What does Junior Achievement North do?
Junior Achievement North designs and delivers experiential K-12 educational programs — including simulated city experiences (BizTown), personal finance simulations (Finance Park), case-based high school learning (3DE), student-run business ventures (Company Program), and career exploration (Dream Accelerator) — to schools and students across Minnesota, North Dakota, and western Wisconsin. Programs are delivered free or at subsidized cost through school partnerships, on-site learning labs, mobile units, and virtual formats, with the cost of delivery funded by donations, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants.
Is Junior Achievement North a public or private company?
Junior Achievement North is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Junior Achievement North founded?
Junior Achievement North was founded in 1919. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Junior Achievement North based?
Junior Achievement North is headquartered in Saint Paul, United States, in the North America region.
How does Junior Achievement North make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships and Grants, event Revenue and corporate Team Events.
Who are Junior Achievement North's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DECA, Junior Achievement of Chicago, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) and Junior Achievement of New York. EVERFI is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are 4-H and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Junior Achievement of Central Texas is listed as a regional player.
Does Junior Achievement North have an API?
No public API is recorded for Junior Achievement North.
What industry is Junior Achievement North in?
Junior Achievement North's product category is Youth Education and Financial Literacy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDANAJAF, Alternative Education & Dropout Prevention / Re-Engagement Programs, with a secondary code of EDAJADAF, Online Credit Recovery & Alternative Pathways (Virtual). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.