News

JA Worldwide Nominated for the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize

We’re proud to announce that JA Worldwide has been nominated for the 2023 Nobel PeacePrize, the second such honor in two years. JA Canada is a member of JA Worldwide.

Nominations may be received only from heads of state and certain elected officials, university professors in selected fields, past Nobel laureates, and a few other notable individuals. We were approached throughout the last year by a number of eligible nominators and, although the identity of each nominee officially remains anonymous for 50 years, we know that at least one of those nominations was accepted by the Nobel Peace Prize Committee. There may have been more.

Founded 104 years ago, JA is now one of the largest youth-serving NGOs in the world, delivering over15 million student learning experiences for employment and entrepreneurship in the last year alone. Operating in over 100 countries, JA teaches youth to develop the skillset and mindset to create businesses, find meaningful employment, and build thriving communities.

Thanks to what they learn in JA, students develop ambitions beyond their own economic reward, with young people understanding that entrepreneurship is not only a means to healthy finances for themselves and their families but also a vehicle to cultivate social stability and build healthy communities. JA students and alumni create companies that offer products and services that fill a consumer need; enable an ecosystem of employees, partners, and suppliers to thrive; and also fundamentally transform the world, or at least their small corner of it.

Asheesh Advani, CEO of JA Worldwide, shared his perspective in response to the nomination: “Peace is possible only when youth in all countries and regions have economic empowerment. By creating opportunity, prosperity, and self-belief, JA’s work empowers youth in over 100countries with the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities. For over a century, JA has operated in areas of political instability, violence, and war, helping youth build entrepreneurship skills and economic resilience. For this work, JA Worldwide is recognized year after year as one of the top ten NGOs in the world, providing economic empowerment to millions of young people.”

Between 1901 and 2022, the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to 140 laureates, including 110 individuals and 30 organizations. Among those 30 organizations is another organization from the annual list of top ten NGOs, Médecins sans Frontières (DoctorsWithout Borders), which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999. UNICEF, another youth-serving NGO, was awarded the prize in 1965, after being nominated for several years.

Career Opportunity: Salesforce & IT Administrator

Location: Remote (Canada)
Basis: Full Time, Permanent

JA Canada (JACAN) is the national office for JA in Canada and a member of JA Worldwide. JACAN has been providing financial literacy, workplace readiness and entrepreneurship programs in partnership with the Canadian education system since 1955. Designed to inspire, prepare and help youth succeed, JA programs are delivered across Canada via a network of 14 offices across Canada to reach over 270,000 youth annually.

In pursuit of greater reach, relevance and impact, JACAN is committed to digital transformation to leverage new technological resources and efficiencies while increasing potential reach via digital program accessibility. The JA Digital Architecture is critically important to JA in Canada operations and includes a learning platform, JA Campus, launched in 2020. To complete the architecture, improve the user experience and integrate data to ensure a single source of truth, JA is implementing Okta as SSO, and a Salesforce National CRM. This architecture will enable efficiencies in program and donor management to increase reach and impact and serves as a model to the JA global network.

About the Role

As a Salesforce & IT Administrator with Junior Achievement (JA) Canada, you will work with the national network of users to maximize ROI and operational efficiencies by enhancing users’ understanding, adoption and use of the technical systems. We are seeking an Administrator who has a good understanding of the Salesforce platform, can understand our organizational objectives and how those translate to the technology, and an individual that is interested in learning and managing other systems.

In this role you will have experience directly administering Salesforce and ancillary systems. In addition, you will be expected to run other aspects of user management, such as handling support requests, providing training, and designing/implementing solutions on the platform. The Administrator should be comfortable with change management and governance processes. The ideal candidate will also be able to manage stakeholder
requests and needs, with varying levels of technical proficiency.

Responsibilities

• In partnership with the Senior Director of Programs & Technology, manage Salesforce configuration, including (but not limited to): fields, record types, page layouts, dynamic layouts, app, actions, custom settings, custom metadata types, approval processes, assignment rules, Flow, mobile administration, reporting and dashboards. Apex configuration a plus.
• Manage user security and permissions, including: user setup/deactivation, profiles, permission sets, restriction rules, public groups, sharing rules, and OWDs
• Steward governance for environment management plan and deployment procedures
• Complete proactive system maintenance, such as security/audit reviews, running system and NPSP Health Check, monitoring and evaluating the impact of release updates, and completing analysis of other Salesforce monitoring tools
• Responding to user support requests (across Canada)
• Play a leadership role in developing, delivering and curating best in class training resources for all users across Canada
• Complete user training with organization-identified training needs for tools used by JA
• Review and analyze data quality; complete data updates to improve organizational metrics (I.e. identifying and merging duplicate records)
• Manage integrations between other JA tooling (including Moodle, Okta and JA’s ecommerce platform)
• Identify unused or underutilized platform features; working collaboratively to manage a platform roadmap to define prioritization and future enhancements to the Salesforce environment
• Complete technical documentation required for the maintenance of the Salesforce instance and ancillary tooling
• Work with network users to design, develop and curate automation scripts to maximize efficiencies and effectiveness of the system
• Manage communication and updates on JA technology to users

Experience & Qualifications

Required:

• Strong Salesforce platform knowledge, with a minimum of 2 years of hands-on administration
• Advanced Salesforce declarative configuration skills, including Flow and security
• Strong knowledge of the Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP)
• Knowledge and background working with Experience Cloud
• Experience working with cross-platform integrations
• Certified Salesforce Administrator
• Ability to liaise with stakeholders at all levels; excellent relationship building skills
• Ability to translate requirements into best practice, scalable solutions
• Ability to respond to service requests for a period of 8 hours during a work day (schedule to be discussed)

Desirable:

• Additional Salesforce certifications: Certified Nonprofit Cloud Consultant, Certified Platform App Builder, Certified Experience Cloud Consultant, Certified Marketin Cloud Email Specialist
• Postgraduate degree or professional qualification in computer science, IT management, or a related study
• DevOps or release management experience
• Understanding of basic triggers or Apex code knowledge
• Knowledge/experience with Salesforce Marketing Cloud
• Experience working with or for a nonprofit organization
• Experience working with or for a federated/affiliated organization
• Bilingual, French and English would be an asset

If you think this role is a good fit for you, we encourage you to submit your resume with a cover letter that highlights alignment to the position qualifications to careers@jacanada.org.

The posting will remain open until a suitable candidate is secured.

JA Canada is committed to an inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible environment where differences are valued and respected in all areas of our business. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and abilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

We thank all candidates for their interest in advance. Based on anticipated volume of applicants, we will only respond to successful applications.

An offer of employment with JA Canada is conditional upon the successful completion of a background verification check, subject to applicable laws and regulations.

Career Opportunity: National Accounts and Partnerships Manager

At Junior Achievement (JA) Canada we are building our team and looking for a National
Accounts and Partnerships Manager who is passionate about youth education, to spearhead
national fundraising for 14 Charters across the country in support of delivering JA programs to
Canadian youth.

JA Canada is the national office for JA in Canada, and a member of JA Worldwide. We have
been providing financial literacy, workplace readiness and entrepreneurship programs in
partnership with the Canadian education system since 1955. Designed to inspire, prepare and
help youth succeed in a global economy, JA programs reach over 250,000 young Canadians
every year.

JA focuses on experiential learning, extending from our core delivery model of in-classroom,
volunteer-led programs. In pursuit of greater reach, relevance and impact, we are committed
to digital transformation to leverage new technological resources and efficiencies, both for
those in-classroom experiences, and also increasing reach via digital program accessibility for
all Canadian youth. We currently offer more than 20 facilitated and eLearning program
experiences for teachers and students in grades 3-12.

As the National Accounts and Partnerships Manager, you will support the Chief Development
Officer (CDO) and be primarily responsible for relationship management and activation for a
portfolio of existing corporate accounts, as well as developing a pipeline of potential new
partners for JA strategic priorities across Canada. This position reports to the CDO at JA
Canada.

A summary of work in two key areas includes, but is not limited to, the following:

1. Support the CDO leading renewal/re-engagement & growth-proposal development on
   a portfolio of 25+ corporate partnerships
   • Assisting with relationship management on all existing and/or newly secured
   corporate/ institutional/ government relationships - both those that support and fund
   program delivery across the network and that support national office priorities
   • As applicable, taking on the lead role for certain accounts
   • Hosting and/or participating in regular review and planning meetings with corporate
   partners
   • Supporting New Business Development (identification/research/outreach; proposals;
   follow-up & tracking)
   • Onboarding partners and network stakeholders to new accounts
   • Identify and cultivate growth and renewal plans
   

2. Communicate, monitor, and report on the deliverables and commitments in
   confirmed partner agreements
   • Acting as the liaison between the fundraising, programs, finance and marketing teams
   at JA Canada and Charters, to inform, communicate and monitor agreement
   deliverables, including for partnerships that have more complex/comprehensive
   advanced metrics and requirements.
   • Codifying partnership details and requirements into internal tracking and reporting
   tools, ensuring line of sight for applicable colleagues.
   • Ensuring fulfillment of all partner rights and benefits, including equipping JA Charters
   & national office assets and instructions.
   • Collecting and producing information for all regular reporting, deliverables tracking,
   and annual reporting.

Experience and Qualifications
• Minimum 3-5 years experience working with corporate partnerships in a non-profit
setting, including activations of rights and benefits
• Experience in a federated model an asset
• Post-secondary education in a related field or additional years of experience desired
• Strong communication skills required, including verbal and written as well confidence
in presenting to diverse audiences
• Works collaboratively with peers and stakeholders
• Detail oriented and able to independently manage competing priorities
• Strength working in the suite of Microsoft Office products required, Canva an asset
• Experience working with CRM software desired (e.g. Salesforce)
• Ability to plan and structure one’s own work streams to meet deadlines with quality
output

If you think this role is a good fit for you, we encourage you to submit your resume with a
cover letter that highlights alignment to the position qualifications to
careers@jacanada.org.

The posting will remain open until a suitable candidate is secured.

JA Canada is committed to an inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible environment where
differences are valued and respected in all areas of our business. We welcome and encourage
applications from people of all backgrounds and abilities. Accommodations are available on
request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. JA Canada will not
discriminate on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship,
creed (religion), sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), sexual orientation or identity,
disability, age (18 and over), record of offenses for which a pardon has been granted, marital
status (including same sex partners), family status (being in a parent-child relationship), or any
other grounds prohibited by the Ontario Human Rights Code.

We thank all candidates for their interest in advance. Based on anticipated volume of
applicants, we will only respond to successful applications. An offer of employment with JA
Canada is conditional upon the successful completion of a background verification check,
subject to applicable laws and regulations.

Canadian Business Hall of Fame Proudly Announces the 2023 Inductees to the Order of the Business Hall of Fame

Honoured for their remarkable legacies in business, Madeleine Paquin, Edward Sonshine, Chief Jim Boucher, and Hugh Anthony Arrell will be inducted to the 2023 Canadian Business Hall of Fame.

TORONTO, Dec. 16, 2022 /CNW/ - Each year, The Canadian Business Hall of Fame (CBHF) honours and celebrates the achievements of Canada's business leaders for their vision and leadership, national and global economic impact, community engagement and philanthropy.

Today, the CBHF is pleased to announce its 2023 Inductees to the Order of the Business Hall of Fame:

• Madeleine Paquin, C.M., President and CEO, LOGISTEC Corporation
• Edward Sonshine, O.Ont., Q.C., Founder and Chairman, RioCan REIT
• Chief Jim Boucher, AOE, President, Saa Dene Group of Companies
• Hugh Anthony Arrell, C.M., Chairman & Co-Founder, Burgundy Asset Management Ltd.

These remarkable Canadians will be formally inducted at the 2023 Canadian Business Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Celebration at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on May 11, 2023.

"It is my pleasure to congratulate Ms. Paquin, Mr. Sonshine, Chief Boucher and Mr. Arrell for the transformative impact they have made in diverse industries," said CBHF Chancellor, Janice Fukakusa, C.M., Chancellor of Toronto Metropolitan University. "Our 2023 Inductees share a common passion to build organizations, pursue innovation, and have laid a foundation for entrepreneurs and future business leaders."

The Canadian Business Hall of Fame was established in 1979 to recognize exceptional and visionary business leaders for their contributions to the economic development and prosperity of Canada.

Each year, individuals are nominated by their peers and are chosen by an independent selection committee representing Canada's foremost private sector, academic and media institutions convened by Korn Ferry, the official CBHF Selection Partner.

The CBHF Induction Ceremony and Celebration, held each year in May, is the signature fundraiser of JA Canada. Proceeds support JA Canada's mission to develop and deliver financial health, work readiness and entrepreneurship programs that equip youth with the skillset and mindset for success.

"We are grateful to the Companions of the Business Hall of Fame who serve as role models for aspiring young Canadian entrepreneurs, innovators and leaders," said Scott Hillier, CEO of JA Canada. "This year's Inductees join an extraordinary group of people who were enshrined in earlier years. Their legacies inspire the next generation."

About The Canadian Business Hall of Fame (CBHF)

The Canadian Business Hall of Fame celebrates outstanding achievements of Canada's most distinguished business leaders. Since 1979, more than 200 business leaders have been inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame. Celebrating the leaders of today and inspiring the leaders of tomorrow, the CBHF Induction Ceremony and Celebration is the signature national fundraising event in support of JA Canada.

For more information, please visit www.cbhf.ca.

About JA Canada

JA Canada inspires the next generation to realize their potential and make a positive impact in their communities. Through JA Canada's network of local offices, and in collaboration with educators and volunteers, the organization delivers hands-on, immersive, and digital learning experiences to young people. Last year JA reached more than 270,000 youth from coast-to-coast-to-coast. JA is committed to ensuring accessibility and inclusivity through programs that help youth build transferable skills in work readiness, financial health, and entrepreneurship.

For more information, please visit www.jacanada.org.

For further information: Media Inquiries: For more information, requests for interviews or comments please contact Angela Scott, Manager of Communications ascott@jacanada.org.

Zurich Canada, Z Zurich Foundation and JA Canada Launch a Multi-Year Initiative to Equip Youth with Mental Well-Being Skills

This new collaboration will equip 230,000 youth with mental well-being skills and resources

TORONTO, Dec. 6, 2022 /CNW/ - Junior Achievement of Canada (JA Canada) is pleased to announce a new national three-year collaboration impacting more than 230,000 Canadian youth.  

Zurich Canada, the Z Zurich Foundation and JA Canada have enjoyed a long-standing meaningful relationship focused on equipping youth with financial literacy, career readiness and entrepreneurship skills.

"At Zurich Canada, we are committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work", said Saad Mered, CEO, Zurich Canada. "Working alongside the Z Zurich Foundation, we are excited to collaborate with JA Canada to combine resources and expertise to foster positive youth connection and develop foundational mental well-being skills."

Earlier this fall, JA Worldwide released its new brand and refined vision statement: a world in which young people have the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities. As a leader in youth business education and entrepreneurship, JA Canada is looking to leverage its platform, learning experiences and student network to integrate mental well-being education and skills in JA programs.

"Our mental well-being collaboration with Zurich Canada is directly aligned with our goal to support youth in developing the mindset for life, academic and career success," said Scott Hillier, CEO, JA Canada. "We are grateful for Z Zurich Foundation and Zurich Canada's collaboration and investment," said Hillier.

With Z Zurich Foundation's investment, JA Canada will promote and build awareness of the critical importance of youth mental well-being and resiliency through an array of activities targeted at youth between the ages of 12 and 17, and their educators and caregivers.

"By working upstream with aspiring young entrepreneurs, and students beginning their career exploration, we can help develop life-long skills to promote mental health," said Scott Hillier, CEO, JA Canada.

With the guidance and engagement of a collaborative advisory group of leading mental health partners, a youth council, and a program development working group, JA Canada is embarking on the development of a unique suite of program activities which will become established components of JA Canada's programming.

"The engagement of mental health partners is a critical component of the initiative, ensuring the development of evidence-based, youth-centered content to enhance and support mental well-being," said Jennifer James, VP Programs, JA Canada.

Key activities include: youth webinars/courses and online professional development for educators which will be released early in 2023; the redevelopment of JA Success Skills Program for classrooms across the country available in the spring of 2023; and the integration of mental well-being and resiliency modules in JA Company Program, JA's signature youth entrepreneurship program.

JA and Zurich Canada, in partnership with the Mental Health Partners Advisory Group also look forward to providing youth with unique and transformational experiential learning opportunities by hosting Youth Summits and moreover launching a dynamic Mental Well-Being Youth Challenge fostering promotion, advocacy and self-determination through peer-to-peer engagement.

"Zurich Canada and the Z Zurich Foundation are excited about this multi-stakeholder collaboration, and the opportunity for Zurich employees to serve as program champions and volunteers," said Ray Chaaya, AVP Employee Experience & Culture, Zurich Canada. "Together we can empower young people for future success by helping youth build resilience and equipping them with life skills," said Chaaya.

For more information on JA Canada – Zurich Canada – Z Zurich Foundation's collaboration, Success Skills, JA programs or how to get involved, please visit jacanada.org.

Press Release: TD Bank Group Invests in JA Canada to Support Youth Across Canada with Financial Literacy Education

Over the next three-years, JA Canada will equip more than 90,000 youth from coast-to-coast-to-coast with the financial literacy skills and tools they need to be better prepared for the future with support from TD.

Toronto, Dec. 1, 2022 – JA Canada is pleased to announce a renewed three-year collaboration with TD Bank Group (TD). This generous support will empower more than 90,000 youth across Canada with the skills they need to live a financially healthy future by participating in the Dollars with Sense program.

Dollars with Sense is a financial literacy program delivered to students in grades 7-9 across Canada. The program curriculum teaches students how to make smart financial decisions, live debt-free, and become savvy investors. Students learn personal money management skills that they can apply to their lives.

“Dollars with Sense is one of JA’s most in-demand and widely delivered programs. TD’s long-standing and renewed support for the program fuels JA Canada’s engagement of students, equipping them with critical financial literacy knowledge and skills to differentiate between needs and wants; make informed consumer decisions; use credit responsibly; and prepare a budget,” said Scott Hillier, CEO of JA Canada.  

“Moreover, TD’s collaboration with our national program development of Dollars with Sense will enable JA to update and inclusively redesign the program increasing accessibility and engagement,” said Hillier.

The redesigned Dollars with Sense program will provide an interactive experience adapted to all learning styles whether students learn in the classroom, with a teacher or volunteer, or independently online at home.

"Supporting Canadian adolescents with the tools and support needed to build financial literacy fundamentals is very important to us," said Uma Venkataramaiah, Senior Manager – Philanthropy Canada, TD Bank Group. "We're so happy to continue supporting JA Canada and the Dollars with Sense initiative, both financially and through volunteerism, with programming that is accessible, inclusive and will help provide financial education skills to our future generations of leaders."  

In addition to supporting program development, TD volunteers will also participate in the delivery of classroom-based learning experiences of the Dollars with Sense program. JA volunteers work in collaboration with classroom teachers to facilitate an immersive learning experience for students. This includes facilitating interactive program activities and sharing their expertise and knowledge as engaging mentors

For more information on JA Canada, Dollars with Sense, JA programs or how to get involved, please visit jacanada.org.

About JA Canada

JA Canada inspires the next generation to realize their potential and make a positive impact in their communities. Through our network of local offices, we collaborate with educators, volunteers, and organizations across Canada to deliver hands-on, immersive, and digital learning experiences to young people. JA commits to ensuring accessibility and inclusivity through programs that help youth build transferable skills in work readiness, financial health, and entrepreneurship. Success starts here.

Media Inquiries

For more information, request for interviews or comments from JA Canada, please contact:

Angela Scott, Manager, Communications, JA Canada at ascott@jacanada.org.

Financial Literacy Month 2022

November is Financial Literacy Month - a topic we are passionate about and committed to through our programs that teach youth how to live financially healthy lives. JA gives students the tools they need to develop transferable skills by learning about budgeting, payment methods, consumer rights and investing. Through our programs, young people are better prepared with the skillset and mindset to navigate the everchanging economic realities and build thriving communities.

Last year, more than 270,000 students across Canada participated in JA learning experiences made possible through the support of our national and local partnerships. By investing in JA, you empower young people to become innovators, entrepreneurs and financially healthy individuals who are equipped to lead our communities and country into the future.  

Thank you to our national and local financial literacy supporters listed below.

National Financial Literacy Partners

Local Financial Literacy Partners

Alberta

Provincial Partner of Financial Literacy: Servus Credit Union

British Columbia

Central Ontario

Ottawa

South Western Ontario

JA Canada Adopts a New Brand

JA has been a driving force in creating leaders, entrepreneurs and businesses that have fueled the Canadian economy for more than 60 years.

As a supporter who knows the value of our brand, we are excited to share that JA has a new look and new values aligned to our mission of inspiring and preparing youth for success!

As a leading educational charity, we have positively impacted millions of youth through programs and experiences that enable them to be financially healthy, career ready, and innovative thinkers that are better prepared for the jobs of tomorrow. JA continues to be adaptive and inclusive in its approach to learning and is increasing access through digital transformation and new approaches. Through ongoing development and innovation, we are working to ensure that our programs are relevant and best-in-class − empowering young people with the skills they need for future success.

We are excited that our new worldwide branding is energizing and reflects the evolution of JA, the expansion of our program offering and our promise to empowering young people with the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities. Success Starts Here.

Company of the Year & Best Store Builder of the Year Award

We're delighted to share the winners of this year's Company of the Year and Best Store Builder of the Year Awards.

This year, we had several fantastic student companies represented from across Canada. The judges certainly did not have an easy task. The finalists participated in the championship with a presentation and Q & A session. A full recording of the final event will be available in the coming weeks.

The 2022 Canadian Company of theYear Champion is Gaia from JA Northern Alberta.

We're also delighted to share the results of the Best Store Builder of the Year awards, presented by Shopify.

Congratulations to Switch & Socket from JA Northern Alberta.

Opportunity for Youth 16-25: NauFest June 10-21

Be part of an incredible, unique and fun experience.

Youth across Canada ages 16-25 are invited to attend NauFest! This is a virtual event experience to inspire and reconnect young people with their future and the future work. Youth from more than 25 countries will be participating. There will be inspirational speakers, networking opportunities and interactive activities throughout the week.

Workshop Agenda

2022 National Scholarship Winners

We're delighted to announce the 2022 national scholarship winners. There were many strong applicants this year, congrats to all of the winners!

JA Company Program Impact Scholarship
Konsoler Mandah - JA Northern Alberta

JA Future Leader Scholarship
Logal Curle - JA in Saskatchewan

Seymour Schulich Entrepreneurship Scholarship
Coral van Vessem - JA Nova Scotia

Public Speaking Scholarship
Eldon MacDonald - JA Nova Scotia

The Canadian Business Hall of Fame Proudly Announces BMO as Presenting Sponsor of Induction Ceremony and Celebration

The Canadian Business Hall of Fame hosts in-person gala to celebrate five extraordinary business leaders in 2022.

TORONTO, April 12, 2022 /CNW/ - In celebrating and honouring remarkable business leaders for their lifetime achievements, the Canadian Business Hall of Fame (CBHF) is thrilled to announce BMO Financial Group as the presenting sponsor for this year's Induction Ceremony and Celebration event which will take place in-person on May 12, 2022 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

This year's Class of Companions includes Maureen Kempston Darkes, Hassan Khosrowshahi, André Desmarais, Paul Desmarais Jr., and Paul Guy Desmarais Sr. (posthumous).

As the presenting sponsor of the 2022 CBHF, BMO shows their support to celebrate today's leaders while also inspiring the leaders of tomorrow. The CBHF is the signature national fundraising event for Junior Achievement of Canada (JA Canada) and supports the mission to provide experiential educational programs to students focused on financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship.

"At BMO, we're proud to recognize the achievements of this year's honourees, while supporting the development of the next generation of Canadian business leaders," said Darryl White, Chief Executive Officer, BMO Financial Group. "Throughout their careers these entrepreneurs and trailblazers have helped grow the good in business and life, with the contributions they've made to strengthen Canada's competitiveness and the valuable community programs that support economic and social progress at home and abroad."

The CBHF looks forward to celebrating the extensive accomplishments of the 2022 inductees on May 12th. We are especially excited to be one of the first gala events to return to the Metro Toronto Convention Center. This year's event will include tributes, storytelling and accolades that recognize the 2022 inductees.

"JA Canada and the CBHF have a longstanding tradition of connecting the business community with students. It has been three years since we have been able to join together in-person to celebrate," said Scott Hillier, CEO JA Canada. "It is a pivotal time to rally as a community in support of youth empowerment, financial and business education. JA's mission to support youth future readiness has never been more vital. We are grateful for the support of BMO to make the event possible, and the eager engagement of all sponsors, partners, and donors supporting the CBHF and JA."

The CBHF welcomes opportunities for participation, sponsorship, and donations in celebration of the 2022 Class of Companions. Supporting JA and the CBHF also provides additional opportunities to prepare and inspire youth across Canada. For more information, please visit www.cbhf.ca or reach out by email at info@cbhf.ca.

About The Canadian Business Hall of Fame (CBHF)
The Canadian Business Hall of Fame celebrates outstanding lifetime achievements of Canada's most distinguished business leaders. Since 1979, more than 200 business leaders have been inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame. Celebrating the leaders of today and inspiring the leaders of tomorrow, the CBHF Gala Dinner is the signature national fundraising event in support of JA Canada. For more information, please visit www.cbhf.ca.

About the 2022 Inductees

• Maureen Kempston Darkes O.C., O.Ont., D.Comm., LL.D, General Motors Group Vice President, President GM Latin America, Africa & Middle East (Retired)
• Hassan Khosrowshahi O.C., O.B.C., Chairman, Persis Holdings
• André Desmarais O.C., O.Q., Deputy Chairman, Power Corporation of Canada
• Paul Desmarais Jr. O.C., O.Q., MBA, Chairman, Power Corporation of Canada
• Paul Guy Desmarais Sr. (posthumous 1927-2013) P.C., C.C., O.Q., Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Power Corporation of Canada

Press Release: Announcement of 2022 Inductees

About JA Canada
JA Canada prepares youth to succeed by delivering programs with experiential learning opportunities to more than 220,000 students each year across Canada. This is done in partnership with educators, volunteers, and businesses to educate students about financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. For more information, please visit www.jacanada.org.

View Original Press Release

The Canadian Business Hall of Fame - May 12, 2022

As planning continues, we're looking forward to the Canadian Business Hall of Fame (CBHF) Induction Ceremony & Celebration on May 12, 2022.

We will hounour our distinguished 2022 Inductees into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame:

• Maureen Kempston Darkes O.C., O. Ont., D. Comm., LL.D. General Motors Group Vice President, President GM Latin America, Africa & Middle East (Retired)
• Hassan Khosrowshahi O.C., O.B.C. Chairman, Persis Holdings
• André Desmarais O.C., O.Q. Deputy Chairman, Power Corporation of Canada
• Paul Desmarais, Jr. O.C., O.Q., MBA Chairman, Power Corporation of Canada
• Paul Guy Desmarais, Sr. posthumous (1927-2013) P.C., C.C., O.Q. - Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Power Corporation of Canada

With the pace of Ontario’s reopening, we are optimistic that we will be proceeding with an in-person celebration at the Metro Toronto Convention Center at 6p.m. However, we continue to plan for either an in-person or a virtual broadcast event as we continue to closely monitor public health guidelines.

Each year, at the Canadian Business Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Celebration, we recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of some of Canada’s most distinguished business leaders. Inductees are chosen as Companions of the Order of the Canadian Business Hall of Fame to honour their contributions to the economic development and prosperity of Canada.

As leading examples of achievement in business and in life, these individuals demonstrate the qualities necessary to ensure the success and competitiveness of Canada in a global marketplace. As Companions, they serve as mentors and role models for Junior Achievement’s (JA) youth and Canada’s future business leaders.

There are several ways that you can support the CBHF this year:

• Become a sponsor
• Purchase event tickets
• Donate in honour of a 2022 Inductee or a past CBHF Companion
• Donate in honour of tomorrow's leaders

For more information on how you can support the CBHF, please contact Kate Webb, Development Manager at 647-428-7088 or by email at kwebb@jacanada.org.

Learn more about event by visiting the Canadian Business Hall of Fame website.

JA Worldwide Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize

 

We have recently learned that JA Worldwide has been nominated! This is an incredible honor for the entire JA network, which includes over 340 local offices in 115 countries.

Nominations may only be received from heads of state and certain elected officials, university professors in selected fields, past Nobel laureates, and a few other notable individuals. Although the identity of each nominee is officially to remain anonymous for 50 years, we have received permission to share with you that we were nominated by a distinguished Professor of Law and International Affairs who was impressed by JA’s incredible global reach, our success in delivering economic empowerment to youth at scale, and our ability to find unity in diversity.

For centuries, unemployment and poverty have led to political instability, violence, and war. By economically empowering youth on all continents (even during this pandemic), JA serves a conduit for peace. We envision a world in which young people have the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities. JA has a heritage of impacting the lives of individuals. While we continue to grow and impact individuals at scale, the impact of JA is felt in communities and across countries.

This nomination for JA Worldwide is the beginning of a journey for us. Many organizations have been nominated multiple times before they’ve been shortlisted or selected as a winner. We’re honored and humbled to be considered for the first time alongside such an illustrious group of nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize. And we hope that this honor inspires the JA network to achieve more, maximize our impact, and recognize that there is unity in diversity.

Asheesh Advani, CEO of JA Worldwide, shared his perspective in response to the nomination: “Peace is only possible when youth in all countries and regions have economic empowerment. JA Worldwide is honored to receive this nomination and will continue our work to enable all young people to have the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities. Our primary hope for solving the world’s most complex problems rests in the young people of today who will be the leaders of tomorrow.”

Although all other Nobel prizes are awarded in Sweden, the Nobel Peace Prize is selected by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, assisted by the Norwegian Nobel Institute, which acts as its secretariat. Grete Nykkelmo, CEO of JA Norway (Ungt Entreprenørskap), responded to the news in this way: “We are delighted to share in this recognition as a proud member of the JA Worldwide network. Our unique blend of entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and work readiness enables us to impact individuals, communities, and society. Peace is achieved when young people have economic opportunity, and we are honored that JA has been recognized alongside other nominees that are striving for a more peaceful world.”

For more information, please visit the JA Worldwide website.

Canadian Students Succeed at JA Americas Competition (CoY)

• MarketAngelo from JA Central Ontario - company video
• Elevate from JA Northern Alberta and Northwest Territories - company video
• YOÜ from JA South Western Ontario - company video

We're so proud of all the students, as they've all clearly demonstrated their accomplishments as part of the JA Company Program this past year.

As the JA Americas Company of the Year, MarketAngelo will join the top teams from JA Asia Pacific, JA Europe, JA USA, INJAZ Al-Arab JA MENA, and JA Africa in the second-annual de la Vega Global Entrepreneurship Award competition in early 2022. This is the first global award for JA Company Program student companies.

2021 JA National Award Winners

JA National Award Winners
 

Congratulations to the 2021 National Award Winners:

• Maya Bezubiak (JA Northern Alberta) - Evelyn Ruskin JA Corporate Awareness Scholarship Winner
• Xiaoqi (Estelle) Pu (JABC) - Al Beech Award Winner
• Nicolas Dostie (JA Quebec) - Seymour Schulich Entrepreneurship Scholarship Winner

Volunteers Inspire Youth in New Ways

Volunteers have been an integral partner of JA since our inception in 1955.  Whether teaching youth about financial literacy in classrooms or inspiring young entrepreneurs in corporate boardrooms across the country, volunteers have shared their experience and knowledge and set these youth on the path to success.

The pandemic has necessitated a change to JA’s program delivery model but volunteers remain vital partners.  Volunteers now may “zoom” into a classroom remotely to facilitate part of a program, speak about their career or participate in a Q&A session with students.  They may also provide a pre-recorded video that a teacher can use in the classroom as part of a JA program.  Or they may work with an entirely virtual team of students to guide them through Company Program.

An often-overlooked group of volunteers is JA’s governance volunteers – those who serve on Boards of Directors across the country.  These individuals give their time, talent and treasure to advance the mission of JA.  This has never been more important than in the past year as we’ve navigated through incredible change and uncertainty. 

As we look forward to some return to normalcy, volunteer engagement will continue to be an important element of JA’s programs and mission delivery.  We’re excited to continue with the new volunteer opportunities that have developed over the last year, as well as returning to in-person classroom involvement when it’s safe to do so.

To all of our volunteers - thank you for your continued commitment!

Recognizing Outstanding Volunteers

JA Canada announces the recipients of the 2019 Royden Richardson National JA Volunteer Award

Toronto, ON – April 12, 2019 – JA Canada is pleased to announce Joanna Williams and Phil Lehn as the recipients of the 2019 Royden Richardson National JA Volunteer Awards. These awards honour volunteers who advance the goals of JA both locally and nationally.

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