Staff Spotlight: Niambi Sampson

Sampson receiving her certification of participation in the EPFP

Niambi Sampson is the Vice President of Programs at JA of Georgia, and has been with the organization for eight years. She has held various positions throughout her time, and continues to help achieve our mission of preparing today's students for tomorrow's economy.

Her favorite thing about working for JA of Georgia is working with the districts to make sure all students have access to life changing programs.

"They really are dedicated, passionate people who work tirelessly for their students. So working with them, on behalf of kids, is awesome!" Sampson said.

Sampson recently completed the Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP), a national professional development program sponsored by the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) that provides potential leaders with the knowledge and networks to advance the core issues of education policy.

According to their website, EPFP is an initiative of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education and is co-sponsored by the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University and the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach at the University of Georgia. The program connects potential educational leaders with one another to build the capacity for our state to raise the bar for student learning and achievement.

It addresses the need for an education leadership development program in the state to provide potential leaders with the knowledge and networks to advance the core issues of education policy. It serves as a critical resource for individuals, organizations and the state to increase the knowledge about education policy and linkages between policy and practice. Ultimately EPEP seeks to improve the chances of children and youth to succeed.

"Being in the Education Policy Fellowship Program unveiled the many inputs that affect the output of an excellent education," said Sampson. "It reinforced my foundational belief that schools will never succeed alone. It takes that proverbial village to even scratch the surface of what is needed to educate a child."

Allstate continues partnership with Junior Achievement of Georgia to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s economy

ATLANTA, GA- Allstate announced today the continuation of its partnership with Junior Achievement (JA) of Georgia, and its efforts to provide a dynamic learning experience designed to enhance students’ financial literacy and build skills for personal and professional success. Allstate has an interactive storefront in JA BizTown presented by Cisco, one of two simulations located within the JA Discovery Center at Gwinnett.

JA BizTown provides students the opportunity to experience their futures first hand. Here 6th grade students interact within a simulated economy and take on the challenge of fueling a business. The students not only discover the intricacies of being a professional and member of the community, but also the abundance of opportunities available within their city.

The experience begins in the classroom with JA provided curriculum that culminates with a day at JA BizTown. The simulation creates an opportunity where students are able to participate in an interactive economy and take on the role of employee and consumer. During the visit to JA BizTown, students receive job assignments and work in teams at their assigned business. By the end of the simulation each student completes a day’s work, develops a personal budget, and makes purchasing decisions.

 The interactive simulation provides sixth grade students the opportunity to not only learn about finances and careers, but allows them to transform into adults for the day, becoming the sole decision maker and taking ownership of their professional success.

“Thanks to partnerships with Gwinnett County Public Schools and the local business community, we are able to give students an authentic and relevant experience that leaves a lasting and measurable impact,” said Jack Harris, president and CEO of Junior Achievement of Georgia. “Together we are shaping the next generation into individuals who are equipped to lead our community and play an integral role in our economy.”

The JA Discovery Center at Gwinnett opened in August 2015 and will serve more than 25,000 middle school students a year from Gwinnett County Public Schools. It is the second JA Discovery Center in the state, bringing the immersive facilities’ annual impact to more than 60 percent of metro Atlanta middle school students.

100,000 students served at the JA Chick-fil-A Foundation Discovery Center!

What an incredible three years it has been! Our 100,000th student, Edith from Chapel Hill Middle school in DeKalb County, passed through the doors of the JA Chick-fil-A Foundation Discovery Center on Friday, May 20, 2016.

Students from Chapel Hill Middle School were welcomed with cheers and confetti by JA of Georgia volunteers, staff and partners, and the monumental moment was felt by all.

"This is a major milestone for us to be able to create an authentic and experiential opportunity that enriches traditional learning," said Jack Harris, President & CEO of JA of Georgia. "This experience provides students a point of reference for their future, and goes far beyond their time at our facility."

 In addition to inspiring the students, the programming is impacting the way that teachers actually teach. Nine out of ten teachers report that the visit positively impacted the way they approach teaching economic concepts, bringing real-world concepts into the classroom and having more ‘real-world’ discussions around long-term goal setting. What’s more, 97 percent of teachers would recommend the experience to other teachers.

“One student said, ‘I didn't know my parents had to do all this,’” said Winfred Crawford, 7th grade teacher at Chapel Hill Middle School. “Through this statement, he acknowledged an awareness that he did not have prior to his time at JA Finance Park. This is an excellent experience that every child should have.”

This milestone would not have been possible without our invaluable partnerships with the schools systems, business community and all of our volunteers in the Atlanta community. We can't wait to continue impacting students for years to come!