Truist Financial Corporation, together with Truist Foundation and Truist Charitable Fund, recently announced a $1.45 million commitment to Junior Achievement of Greater Washington (JAGW). The funding will support JAGW’s educational programs around financial literacy, including its JA Finance Park® program for middle school students that teaches them how to be financially capable for lifelong success.
Truist shared details of its investment in Landover, Maryland, inside JAGW’s Financial Park in Prince George’s County. Ellen Fitzsimmons, chief legal officer and head of public affairs at Truist, was joined by Ed Grenier, president and CEO of JAGW.
“As a financial institution, Truist understands the importance and impact that financial education makes in our youths’ lives and their economic opportunity,” said Fitzsimmons. “Junior Achievement’s vision to empower young people to have the skill set to build thriving communities aligns with our ongoing emphasis on creating more pathways to economic equity. Our long-standing partnership with Junior Achievement of Greater Washington and this commitment is an example of how we’re putting our purpose to inspire better lives and communities into action for the Greater Washington area.”
JA Finance Park is a public-private nonprofit collaboration between the Washington region’s school systems, businesses, educators and volunteer mentors who come together to inspire, guide and teach students how to be financially capable and ready to take on their futures. From goal-setting to saving, budgeting, shopping and bill paying, students experience what it really takes to successfully navigate a complex economy and learn how their decisions today can impact their future.
Truist’s funding will provide JAGW and students from Fairfax and Prince George’s counties with the curriculum materials, hands-on experiences, and mentors necessary to prepare over 40,000 students in the Greater Washington region for financial and career success.
“Truist’s committed partnership gives JA the ability to empower over 52,000 students a year across Greater Washington to develop financial management skills and take charge of their futures,” said Grenier. “JA Finance Park’s success is a testament to the public-private venture model that brings together businesses and school systems to prepare our local students to succeed in a global economy. By partnering with Truist, we look forward to expanding our reach and continuing to impact our region’s next generation of leaders.”
JAGW inspires and prepares young people to succeed in a global economy. The organization works to provide every student equal access to relevant and experiential education, community mentors, and global business leaders so they can confidently pursue the real-world opportunities that matter most to them. Junior Achievement alumni are more likely to graduate from college and secure employment at a higher rate than their peers.
Truist is committed to driving meaningful and lasting change in Greater Washington, D.C. and has provided $5.1 million in charitable giving, lending and grants from Truist Foundation and Truist Charitable Fund since 2021. Truist and Truist Foundation have partnered with a number of Washington, D.C.-focused nonprofits including the Washington Housing Conservancy, the Washington Housing Initiative, the Washington Area Community Investment Fund and Davis Memorial Goodwill among others to help address affordable housing and support inclusive economic mobility and workforce preparedness across the region.