Young Professionals Board

The Junior Achievement Young Professionals Board (JAYPB) is committed to advancing JA’s mission through promoting interest and generating support among Miami’s young professionals and their employers (or employees!). This group of enthusiastic young professionals meets on specified Wednesdays for lunch, from 12 - 1 pm.

Purpose and Values: Junior Achievement (JA) maintains an active vision, front and center, on how we can have a positive impact on the lives of more students - guided by our core values:

• Belief in the boundless potential of young people
• Commitment to the principles of market-based economics and entrepreneurship
• Passion for what we do and honesty, integrity, and excellence in how we do it
• Respect for the talents, creativity, perspectives, and backgrounds of all individuals
• Belief in the power of partnership and collaboration
• Conviction in the educational and motivational impact of relevant, hands-on learning

Mission: To inspire and prepare young people for success.

Quick Facts: The JAYPB has been in existence since July 2014. With over thirty energetic members, we represent the future of corporate leadership in Miami-Dade County. Junior Achievement of Greater Miami (JA Miami) operates in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties.
Membership Level
Junior Achievement offers different levels of engagement. Please review the requirements below and then select which type of involvement you'd prefer, based on your schedule and interest.

1. Junior Achievement Young Professionals Board Member:

• Attend at least 70% of the JAYP meetings
• Teach at least one Junior Achievement program per school year (JA in a Day, JA Company Program, or Stock Market Challenge in-class program)
• Reach out to your network for support and awareness
• Actively participate in our fundraising event planning
• Be an active ambassador of Junior Achievement by creating awareness and communicating with potential sponsors

2. General Membership Level:

• Attend at least two YP Board meetings per year
• Teach at least one Junior Achievement program per school year
• Attend at least one JA Happy Hour or other event
• Demonstrate interest and support JA in the “best manner,” commensurate with your abilities

Please indicate your preferred level of involvement:

Be a JA YP Board Member
Be a General Member

Junior Achievement provides opportunities throughout the year for YP Board Members to make contributions of time, talent, or treasure. Please check the boxes to indicate interest in any of the following areas:

Recruit volunteers from my organization to teach JA programs
Make a personal contribution to JA and encourage others to do the same
Introduce staff/open doors to my contacts and network to benefit Junior Achievement
Secure a financial contribution from my organization

JAYP Committee Selection
To maximize efficiency, the JAYP will have three active committees with varying goals and responsibilities. All committees will focus on the Stock Market Challenge during the first part of the school year. These committees will gather separately throughout the year, providing status updates and calls to action at the regular JAYP meetings.

Fundraising Committee: This committee develops ideas and goals to generate new fundraising activity for JA, including introducing new companies to JA, promoting sponsorship opportunities for the Stock Market Challenge, and securing in-kind donations.

Social Events Committee: This committee develops ideas and goals to generate more awareness to JA and increase JA membership base through  social events and networking. The Social Events Committee helps plan and facilitate social/networking events.

Volunteer Committee: This committee develops ideas and goals to increase volunteer participation, recruit new volunteers, and engage YP members in volunteer efforts.

Executive Board Committee Selection

Junior Achievement's governing Board of Directors has invited members of the Young Professionals Board to participate in their committees, which meet throughout the year. Please see the committee overviews below and select any you would like to join.

Events Committee will be responsible for matters that relate to the corporation’s Annual Golf & Tennis Invitational, Stock Market Challenge, and all other JA events.

Finance Committee will oversee the engagement of an independent auditor to provide audit services, review the annual reports and periodic audits of the auditor, communicate the findings to the board of directors, and work to resolve any issues with the auditor. In addition, the Finance Committee shall review the corporation’s annual Form 990 reports, internal controls (including appropriate procedures for handling employee complaints), ethics reviews and directors’ annual conflicts of interest statements, financial reporting and risk controls (including volunteer screening), and the accuracy of all publicly reported numbers of the corporation, including student counts, classes and contact hours. The Finance Committee shall meet no less than two (2) times a year (at least once prior to audit engagement and once post-engagement).

Governance Committee will be responsible for matters that relate to governing the corporation and identifying and proposing persons for election as directors at the regular annual meeting of the board of directors, or in the event of director vacancies, shall propose replacement directors for election by the board of directors, and shall also recommend persons for consideration as officers to be elected at the next annual meeting of the board of directors; provided however that at the regular annual meeting of the board of directors, any director may present nominations from the floor in addition to those presented by the Governance Committee.

Government Affairs Committee will be responsible for matters that relate to government funding and grants.

Investment Committee willl be responsible for exploring and, if approved by the board of directors, implementing investment opportunities and matters that relate thereto.

Programming Committee will be responsible for matters that relate to the corporation’s student educational programs.

Resource Development Committee will be responsible for matters that relate fundraising efforts, community and business engagement efforts, including volunteer recruiting.

Membership Fee
Throughout the year, there will be asks for a personal donation as well. Your membership fee will be credited towards your donation. Together, we can inspire and prepare young people for success!

Important Dates* (2024-2025 school year)

JAYP Meetings (open to all JAYP Members)
-- Wednesday, September XX, 2024, at 6pm | In-Person | Location TBA
-- Wednesday, November XX, 2024, at 6pm | In-Person | Location TBA
-- Wednesday, March XX, 2025, at 6pm | In-Person | Location TBA
-- Wednesday, May XX, 2025, at 6pm | In-Person | Location TBA

Networkers (the more, the merrier!)
-- Thursday, August 24, 2024 | Location TBA – looking for venues!
-- November 2024 | Details TBA
-- March/April 2025 | Details TBA

Important Event/Program Dates:
-- 9th Annual Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge: Thursday, October 17, 2024
-- 30th Annual Junior Achievement Golf & Tennis Invitational: Monday, May X, 2025
*All dates are subject to change

The JAYP operates on the same fiscal year as Junior Achievement of Greater Miami, beginning on July 1 and ending on June 30.