— JA Inspires helps Nevada students learn about career paths —
— Mark Cuban and Raiders Alec Ingold among speakers —
Junior Achievement’s JA Inspire Virtual Career Expo will be Tuesday, Feb. 15 through Thursday, May 16, 2022, and there’s still time for businesses and organizations to sign up to sponsor and exhibit at the online and interactive career exploration program that helps prepare students for their future. The event is being presented by the Nevada Broadcasters Association and Las Vegas Valley Water District. More than 5,000 students throughout Nevada are expected to attend.
JA Inspire was created for 8th through 12th grade students to learn about high-wage/high-demand jobs, career opportunities and related education, classes and route required before planning their high school coursework. The program is free for students and schools. Last year due to the pandemic, it was adapted and expanded to a virtual format, allowing more students, schools and businesses to participate from its previous iteration as a job shadowing program at Valley High School.
“JA Inspire provides a great opportunity for businesses to connect with students to share career options and recruit them for their jobs, enabling them to become workforce ready,” said Michelle Jackson, president and CEO of Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada. “And the virtual forum is easy and accessible for all statewide participants.” The nonprofit is being joined by the Northern Nevada Junior Achievement chapter in producing the program.
There are three sponsor/exhibitor levels, from $500 for a customized virtual booth and name in the student/teacher workbook to $2,500 and $5,000 which expand on previous options with more awareness, signage and messaging opportunities. Additionally, three $7,500 sponsorships provide “Presenting” opportunities for the event auditorium, lounge and scavenger hunt. Businesses should register by Feb. 1, 2022 to be included.
The event begins with students entering JA Inspire through a virtual lobby platform where they will visit an information center, auditorium with webinars, and virtual halls with booths expected to cover career pathways in automotive, aviation, construction, finance, government, health, hospitality, technology, and other options. Students previously will have completed an online career assessment and received information about 16 career clusters and where they might excel in the working world.
Throughout JA Inspire, there will be activities and games such as the scavenger hunt to keep students interested and engaged. They can add information to their “swag bag,” and have access to the entire program and can re-visit booths for up to 90 days.
A variety of speakers will include Mark Cuban, entrepreneur, Dallas Mavericks owner and Shark Tank executive producer and judge; and Alec Ingold, Las Vegas Raiders full back and creator of the eponymously named Money Mini Camp. Ingold is partnering with Junior Achievement to present the camp’s various financial lessons through a video series, assisted by teammates and other players, to students in the classroom.
For more information, contact Michelle Jackson at 702-214-0503 or michelle.jackson@ja.org.
Exhibitor/sponsor information is here . Schools and teachers can sign up here.
About Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada
Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada, Inc. was founded locally in 1996. The organization is dedicated to providing financial education to students K-12, with a curriculum that spans from budget management to economic principals, workforce skills and credit. Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada reaches more than 20,000 students annually in the Las Vegas area with the help of 285 businesses and 6,800 business role models. For more information visit https://jasnv.org/ and follow on Instagram and Facebook.
About Junior Achievement USA® (JA)
Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches 4.5 million students per year in 115 markets across the United States, with an additional 5.8 million students served by operations in 120 other countries worldwide. Visit www.ja.org for more information.
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