Partner Spotlight

For decades, Webster Bank has been a steadfast partner of Junior Achievement of Greater Fairfield County, helping to expand access to meaningful, real-world financial education for students across our region. Their long-standing commitment to our mission has played a vital role in equipping young people with the knowledge and confidence they need to make informed financial decisions.

Through their support, students have engaged in impactful JA programs such as JA Take Stock in Your Future® and the Stock Market Challenge, where they build critical investing skills and experience the dynamics of the market firsthand. Webster has also helped bring foundational programs like JA Economics for Success® and JA More than Money® into classrooms, empowering students with essential lessons in budgeting, earning, spending, and saving.

Beyond their financial support, Webster Bank’s partnership reflects a shared belief in the power of education to drive long-term economic mobility. Together, we are helping students connect classroom learning to real-world applications and preparing them for brighter financial futures.

We are grateful for Webster Bank’s enduring partnership and their continued investment in the next generation.

The Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation, Inc. has been a dedicated and generous partner of Junior Achievement of Greater Fairfield County, contributing significantly to the lives of thousands of young people in the region. Support from the Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation, Inc. has played a vital role in funding numerous impactful work readiness and financial literacy programs, including our High School Heroes program in Derby and Ansonia.

The High School Heroes program allows high school students the chance to develop leadership and communication skills by teaching Junior Achievement programs in elementary schools. Through this experience, students build teamwork, problem-solving, and critical-thinking abilities while gaining a deeper connection to their community. One of the elementary school students that was taught by a high school hero noted, “I loved that [the volunteers] were being so sweet, and they inspire me.” Thank you to the DeLuca Foundation for helping make experiences like this possible!

The Louis J. Casale Foundation has been a long-time supporter of Junior Achievement of Greater Fairfield County. Thanks to their generous support, we’ve been able to expand JA programming in the areas that need us most, including Stamford. This year, we were proud to grow one of our signature programs, JA Empowered for Change, by hosting a special experience for young women from Westhill High School. Through this event, participants had the opportunity to hear from inspiring women in a variety of careers, representing companies across the greater Stamford area. Thank you to the Louis J. Casale Foundation for their support of our organization.

This month, we’d like to highlight our partnership with TJX and the TJX Foundation, who have supported JA of Greater Fairfield County for many years. Their annual support of our organization, as well as our JA Golf Classic, has been instrumental in helping us further our mission and make a meaningful impact in our community. We thank them for their partnership and are looking forward to continuing this for many years to come.

Support from The Raymond P. Lavietes Foundation over the years has been instrumental in enabling Junior Achievement of Greater Fairfield County to bring JA programming to students across the Valley region. Their investment has helped sustain meaningful, hands-on learning experiences that prepare young people for future success.

One standout program made possible through this support is our High School Heroes initiative. Through this experience, high school students step into leadership roles, serving as mentors and role models for younger students while building their own confidence, presentation, and public speaking skills. Throughout the past several years, students from Ansonia High School and Derby High School have proudly participated in the program.

We are deeply grateful to The Raymond P. Lavietes Foundation for their continued partnership and commitment to expanding opportunity for students throughout the Valley.

In November 2021, Junior Achievement of Greater Fairfield County was awarded a $255,000 grant funded by the City of Bridgeport through the Biden Administration’s American Rescue Plan Act, in which we received financial support every year through 2024. Through this support, we have been able to expand on our program delivery in the Bridgeport area. This included new partnerships with Black Rock School, Catholic Academies of Bridgeport, and Wakeman Boys & Girls Club, and more, as well as continuing to work with other longtime partners including Bullard Havens Technical High School, Harding High School, Access4Kidz, Beardsley Elementary School, and Kolbe Cathedral High School. We thank the City of Bridgeport for their commitment to the young people in their community and making sure that they have the resources to be set up for long term success.

Wells Fargo has been a dedicated partner of Junior Achievement of Greater Fairfield County for more than a decade, supporting our work through both generous funding and hands-on volunteer engagement.

Through this partnership, we provided a select group of students from Central High School in Bridgeport with a truly transformative experience. This opportunity built on a series of JA-facilitated sessions led by Wells Fargo volunteers, where students explored key concepts in financial literacy and gained a deeper understanding of how the economy works.

The experience culminated in a visit to Wells Fargo’s offices at Hudson Yards in New York City, where students toured the trading floor and connected directly with professionals across the organization, bringing their learning to life in a powerful way.

We are grateful to Wells Fargo for their continued partnership and for serving as a model of how corporate engagement can inspire and equip the next generation to build thriving communities.

Synchrony Financial has been a loyal supporter of Junior Achievement of Greater Fairfield County and our mission, serving as a leading sponsor of the JA Golf Classic for several years. In addition to their event sponsorship, Synchrony has played an important role in advancing our financial literacy and career readiness programs, helping bring impactful learning experiences to students across our region.

We are grateful for Synchrony’s continued partnership and commitment to empowering young people with the skills and confidence to succeed.

The Wiener Philanthropy is committed to offering opportunities for youth to build brighter futures, making them a perfect partner for Junior Achievement. Since 2016, their generous support has empowered JA to continue developing and delivering innovative, impactful programs to meet the changing needs of the communities we serve. These programs have included JA Inspire: Here to Career, our High School Heroes program, Women in Business panel discussion, and more. 

Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) is a model partner for JA. As a loyal JA supporter for over ten years, BI contributes through their charitable foundation and with dedicated employee volunteers. In the 2022-23 school year, dozens of BI employees gave their time for a very successful JA in a Day at Westside Middle School Academy in Danbury and for an engaging healthcare career panel at Danbury High School. We are so grateful for BI’s commitment to JA, our mission, and our students!

Aquarion has been an outstanding partner to Junior Achievement for many years. From their board participation (Peter Fazekas serves on our Board of Directors, and George Logan is on our Emeritus Board) to their volunteering in the classroom, Aquarion employees continue to engage with JA students and support our mission. Aquarion’s generous financial contributions also help to bring experiences like JA Inspire: Here to Career to more students in our community. With our local offices housed in the Aquarion building, we are proud to call them our neighbors and our partners.

Pitney Bowes has been a loyal and generous partner to JAGFC for many years, supporting our programs, Hall of Fame events, and student experiences. They have also provided committed volunteers in the classroom and on our board. Andrew Gold, Chief Human Resources Officer, at Pitney Bowes is a dedicated member of JAGFC’s Board of Directors.  

“Pitney Bowes and our employees are delighted to support JA and their efforts to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. “ says Kathleen Ryan Mufson, Vice President, Global Citizenship & Philanthropy and President, Pitney Bowes Foundation. “We congratulate the entire JA team for their dedication, and we applaud all of the students for their active participation in this enriching learning that builds financial literacy, work-readiness and entrepreneurship skills.”

We are thrilled to be a partner with Social Equity Council and the United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut. JAGFC was awarded a grant through the Community Investment Grant Program, to support “organizations serving Disproportionately Impacted Areas (DIA) within the Cities of Bridgeport and Stamford to exclusively fund the development, expansion, and support of projects that uplift communities and strengthen families disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs.” The funds will be used to sustain our Bridgeport Future Leaders program at the Smilow-Burroughs Clubhouse of the Wakeman Boys & Girls Club.

JA of Greater Fairfield County has been the recipient of several multi-year grants of general operating support from the Valley Community Foundation over the past several years. This enables us to bring programs like JA Inspire Virtual, our virtual career exploration experience to students in the Valley. In the spring of 2021, we held our first ever JA Inspire Virtual, and hosted over 1,500 students and community partners throughout the three months that the fair was open. Students had the opportunity to visit virtual career booths and learn more about local companies and careers throughout, as well as educational opportunities in our area. They also heard from industry professionals in the auditorium and Entrepreneur Hub. Now in its second year, this experience allows for our students to start thinking about what they want their future to look like and expose them to careers they may not have even known were possible.

“My experience can be summed up into two words: empowering and inspiring.” – Seymour High School student.