Junior Achievement of East Tennessee - Volunteer for Junior Achievement     Frequently Asked Questions What is JA Worldwide®? JA Worldwide® is the oldest, largest, and fastest-growing non-profit economics education program throughout the world. JA reaches students in grades K-12. All programs are delivered by individual volunteers. JA programs are fun, hands-on programs that teach students the basics of life and equip them with the knowledge and skills to make a better life for themselves. All programs align with national and local curriculum standards. Therefore, educators fully enjoy the opportunity to involve their students. What local areas are involved in Junior Achievement programs? Currently, Junior Achievement of East Tennessee serves schools in eleven counties. These counties include Anderson, Blount, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Roane, Scott, Sevier, and Union.  Schools involved in each of these counties are selected through their requests to have the programs. Many schools have been requesting JA for some time now, and will be involved when funds become available. What are ways I can get involved in Junior Achievement? Volunteers steer this organization. There are many different ways in which one can volunteer. The most common way to volunteer is inside the classroom. With JA running over 500 programs, the need for volunteers is ever increasing. JA's staff recruits and trains volunteers on a daily basis. Other ways to volunteer is at the major fundraisers that JA hosts. These include three annual fundraisers:  Schoolhouse Rock N'Bowl Bowl-A-Thon in March, East Tennessee Business Hall of Fame in April, and the "Inspiring Free Enterprise" Golf Tournament in August. Sponsoring programs and participating in the fundraisers is another great way to get involved and make your impact. Many people do not have the time to commit to JA's classroom programs, making sponsoring programs or participating in an event a more appropriate way to still be involved. Junior Achievement equally depends on community funding as well as volunteers to deliver programs. Am I qualified to volunteer inside the classroom? Volunteers come from all walks of life. A volunteer could be a valued employee, a retiree, a parent with a successful broad-based experience or a positive and inspirational college student. Volunteers represent his/her company, the American business system and his/her profession. A desire to be an inspirational role model is a must, along with the ability to communicate, motivate, and create enthusiasm. How do I get signed up to volunteer? You can either contact the JA office at (865) 584-4359, or click http://easttennessee.ja.org/volunteer_signup.html to fill out a volunteer registration form. How much of my time commitment is involved? Time commitment varies from as little as five visits to the same classroom at the elementary level up to eight visits at the middle and high school levels How can I get Junior Achievement programs into a nonparticipating school? Funding is a must. Once programs are funded, volunteers and educators are trained and ready to deliver the programs.