EY is an incredible partner to Junior Achievement (JA) areas across the Americas. EY’s senior professionals serve on more than 40 local JA boards across the US, Canada and South America, and EY employees volunteer at countless JA events throughout the year. JA USA honored EY in 2015 with a Gold Level US President’s Volunteer Service Award, because EY provided more than 15,000 volunteer hours during the year.

Locally, EY employees volunteer annually at Greenwood Academy as part of EY Connect Day. This day is dedicated to volunteerism and gives EY professionals the opportunity to share in the firm’s purpose of building a better working world.  However, EY’s impact in the community is not limited to just one day. EY professionals volunteer throughout the school year to help young people practice making smart financial decisions at JA Finance Park.   As a father of four school age boys, Jim Wilson, EY Partner and JA Board Member says, “Education has always been important to me, and as a CPA and auditor, I value teaching financial literacy at a young age. It has been an honor for me to serve JA and to connect our EY professionals with many opportunities to volunteer and share their experiences in business, finance and economics.”

For the first time, JA-Rocky Mountain is offering JA Launch Lesson, an EY-sponsored program which aligns with National Entrepreneurship Month in November. JA Launch Lesson is an inspirational one-hour experience designed to be led by entrepreneurs and small business owners that explores entrepreneurship and highlights the opportunities, challenges, and preparation required for successful participation in the global economy.

During the 2016/17 school year, local EY employees raised $12,401 through the JA Bowl-A-Thon that enabled 310 students to participate in JA programs. Other events supported by EY include the JA Golf Classic and the JA Stock Market Challenge.