About JA Asia Pacific
JA Asia Pacific is a member of JA Worldwide, one of the world’s largest youth-serving NGOs dedicated to preparing young people for employment and entrepreneurship. JA Asia Pacific contributes towards a world in which young people have the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities. We work towards this vision by advocating for experiential learning in schools in the region, and by nurturing partnerships with schools and other like-minded organizations. We envision a world in which no young person is left behind.
As Asia Pacific is home to 60% of the world’s youth, JA Asia Pacific aims to empower young people to benefit from and contribute to the region’s economic development and to create a positive impact in their lives and communities.
Operating across 17 countries and territories, the JA Asia Pacific network equips young people with the employment and entrepreneurship skillsets and mindsets they need to succeed. By building abilities and nurturing self-belief, JA prepares youth for the future of work, ensures they have the tools to be financially capable adults, and teaches them to think entrepreneurially. Supported by more than 52,000 volunteers, and reaching more than 3 million students by 2022, JA Asia Pacific is one of few organizations with the scale, experience, and passion to build a brighter future for the next generation of global innovators, entrepreneurs, makers, and managers. As a member of JA Worldwide, our global network consists of more than half a million volunteers, serving more than 15 million students in over 100 countries each year.
For more than 100 years, JA has delivered hands-on, experiential learning in work readiness, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship. We create pathways for employability, job creation and financial success. JA inspires and prepares young people to succeed in a global economy.
Impact
Across the globe, JA impacts the lives of over 15 million young people to date. In the 17 localities within the Asia Pacific region, passionate staff from JA Members have unparalleled access to schools, creating an ecosystem of hands-on programs driven by volunteers, teachers, policymakers, and the private sector. In addition to maintaining deep relationships with our funders, we’re forging partnerships with high-tech start-ups, universities, and like-minded NGOs, giving even more students the opportunity to benefit from JA’s learning experiences. The result in Asia Pacific alone is over 30,549,563 student-contact hours and over 3 million student experiences up to the year 2022.
Our programs serve a variety of young people - from children to youth ages 5- 25; with a variety of needs - including communities with low access and/or poor outcomes to education and livelihoods; from a wide geographical span- rural as well as urban; in a variety of school systems - from public schools to private schools. JA programs produce students who are curious, creative, self-confident, resilient, and determined to build a better life.
A testament to this are JA’s 150 million living alumni throughout the world, who continue to do good and serve wherever they are. Some of our alumni start businesses that serve social needs, solve local problems, or work on inspiring others to reach their potential; some donate their time and/or money to their communities; others volunteer and mentor to give back to the next generation of young people.
The impact of JA’s learning experiences goes beyond the lives of individual students. For over 100 years, JA has operated all over the world, even in areas of political instability, violence, and war, ready to help students through the unemployment, poverty, and hopelessness that stem from such conditions. By helping youth develop the employment and entrepreneurial tools to find meaningful work and start sustainable companies, JA serves as conduit for peace and prosperity. Through JA, young people are equipped with the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities.
At JA, impact is celebrated in all forms - from time spent on programs to individuals who incubate social movements. Our efforts have been recognised with global awards such as the one of the ten most-impactful social-good organizations in the world (listed for the fourth-straight year) by the dot good, Fast Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators as the top nonprofit on the list, the Tony Hsieh Award for leadership through empowerment, and a nomination for the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of our role in furthering global peace and prosperity throughout the last century, often in parts of the world marked by political instability, violence, and war jaworldwide.org/nobel-nomination. This list only scratches the surface of the awards and recognitions in the JA network, with hundreds more at the regional, national, and local levels.
Reports
JA Global Impact Report
JA Worldwide Annual Report, 2022
JA Worldwide Factbook, 2022
Board of Directors
The JA Asia Pacific Regional Operating Center (ROC) has a diverse and highly dynamic Board of Directors, comprised of business leaders spanning various sectors and leading companies in the region. The Board collaborates with the JA Asia Pacific team to outline strategic direction and priorities for the region. JA Asia Pacific's current Board of Directors is comprised of the following members:
PG Raghuraman (Board Chair)
Managing Director & Chief Risk Officer,
Growth Markets, Accenture
Alice Chou
Director, Chou Family L2 Foundation
Acting Excutive Director, JA China
Bernard Chan
President
Asia Financial Holdings
Chodchoy Sophonpanich
President
Thai Environmental and Community Development
Kawal Preet
Regional President of Asia Pacific,
Middle East and Africa (AMEA), FedEx Express
Sui Yang Phang
Managing Partner of Nest Hong Kong
Stephen Barnharm
Strategic Advisor, The Digital Insurer
Team
Maziar Sabet
President and CEO
Kirk Kenny
Chief Development Officer
Arunee Narula
Regional Operations Director
Sheila Ganesan
Regional Communications and Marketing Director
Anne Truong
Regional Partnerships Officer
Partners
The JA Experiential Education Model
JA delivers its education programs through volunteers from all sectors of society who bring real-life work experience to the training and work closely with students in a mentorship capacity to create a truly experiential model that is focused on practical, and not just theoretical, results.
Young people
Educators
Businesses
JA serves as the nexus between the private sector, public sector and young people. We connect companies, organizations and individuals who wish to be involved in the youth economic development movement.
Our partners enable us to effectively execute our mission. In turn, we enable our partners to collaborate in addressing socio-economic priorities, such as youth unemployment and enterprise creation.
Whether through financial contributions, Board participation, classroom or virtual volunteering, JA offers a collective ability to execute youth empowerment programs that create a lasting, positive impact on the lives of young people.
Sponsors
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