A&M-Texarkana Announces Return of Junior Achievement to the Texarkana Community

TEXARKANA, Texas – The Center for Financial Literacy and Investment (CFLI) at Texas A&M-Texarkana recently announced the return of Junior Achievement East Texas (JAET) to the Texarkana community after a five-year absence. Junior Achievement is a non-profit organization that provides financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship education to K-12 students. Junior Achievement programs are delivered by volunteers from the local business community. JAET is based out of Longview, Texas.

"We are thrilled to see Junior Achievement returning to Texarkana," said Jay Davis, Executive Director of the CFLI at A&M-Texarkana. "The earlier we can start teaching financial literacy, the better equipped our young people will be to navigate the complexities of the financial world. This is an invaluable resource for our community's youth."

The CFLI hosted a luncheon earlier this month where Flecia Droege, Program Coordinator for Junior Achievement East Texas, presented their proven financial literacy curriculum to local bank and credit union leaders, along with representatives from area school districts. Justin White, Texarkana Market President with Guaranty Bank & Trust shared that “Guaranty Bank & Trust is excited to welcome Junior Achievement back into our community, and classrooms. We see this as a great opportunity to partner with our local school districts while equipping students with the fundamental foundation of financial literacy.” The success of the Junior Achievement program in Texarkana hinges on securing a strong volunteer base. The program relies on volunteers from the community to go into classrooms and deliver the financial literacy curriculum. "We are looking for enthusiastic individuals who are passionate about financial literacy and who want to make a positive impact on the lives of young people," said Droege. Those interested in volunteering with Junior Achievement or learning more about the program can contact JAET at 903-297-2202 or Flecia.droge@ja.org.