Educator Testimonials

Donor and Sponsor Testimonials

Kathy Doi, Principal
Formerly at Randall now Zanker Elementary in Milpitas

I've been very impressed with the curriculum for Junior Achievement. The kinds of materials are very age-appropriate for whatever grade they are teaching.

Carol Fisher, Former Member
Mountain View School Board

Even this morning, a volunteer said, "You don't need to just play video games. You can make them!" For the kids to understand, wow, I can come up with the idea and create a game myself…that can give them the motivation and incentive to pursue something they wouldn't have otherwise.

Kim Fisher-James, Teacher
Hyde Middle School

I find it valuable to have community members come in and teach the students about how math is relevant in the real world! The students felt the most valuable lessons were: you need to spend money wisely; you need to save; and how to write checks!!!

Frank Foehr, JA Board Member and Teacher
Yerba Buena High School in San Jose

Junior Achievement is an incredibly valuable and realistic experience for high school students because of the range of program elements - especially the volunteer business consultant, financial and business games, service learning process, and job shadow experience.

Gargi Sengupta, Teacher
Orchard School Middle School

It's incredible that within a small frame of time, how much they can learn and how much volunteers can bring in

Carolyn Itatani-Wahler, Teacher
Morrill Middle School

Through JA many students realized for the first time the importance of getting an education and staying in school. They learned that careers they had only dreamed of are attainable goals.

Julie McCarthy, Teacher
Stonegate Elementary School, San Jose

(on the Service Learning Program for her 1st graders)

Wonderful Program! It meets standards, and students love it. I would like to have it EVERY year!

Ina Miller, Counselor
Gear Up

... A big THANK YOU to Junior Achievement for allowing students the opportunity to increase their career awareness and hopefully motivate them to achieve great success later in life.

Gargi Sengupta, Teacher
Orchard School Middle School

JA teaches my students the fundamentals of planning their careers and earning a living. Every year my students have shown growth in their maturity levels after the program is completed.

Kathy Doi, Principal
Formerly at Randall now Zanker Elementary in Milpitas

I think there are a lot of people out there that talk about schools and are looking for ways to help. This is something that someone can do and come meet with our children and open doors to give them hope for our future! And that's a very, very powerful thing.

Dennis Vaughn, Teacher
Vargas School, Sunnyvale, CA

Junior Achievement is part of my 3rd grade class because it brings the world into my classroom.

Colleen Wilcox, Superintendent
Santa Clara County Office of Education
2004 JA Laureate speech

Because we live in a valley of entrepreneurship, the Silicon Valley business community often speaks of their generosity in terms of investment - investment in the young, investment in the future... Today, March 30th is a particularly appropriate day to celebrate investment. On this very day, 137 years ago, Henry Seward signed the treaty purchasing Alaska. At that time the purchase was know as "Seward's Folly," and "Seward's Ice Box"... While many saw icebergs and an impervious landmass, Seward saw the future... And it is our business community and Elain Curran and the good folks at Junior Achievement of Silicon Valley that had been leaders in recognizing that children must be our first priority

Educator Testimonials

Student Testimonials

Volunteer Testimonials