October 2026 OneJA Newsletter

LETTER FROM THE CEO

Dear colleagues,

Last month, I talked about JA’s long-standing commitment to collaboration and how our decision nearly a decade ago to become a more abundant, collaborative, and inclusive organization has transformed the way we work. While much of that discussion focused on partnerships beyond JA, collaboration is equally important within our own global network. Across OneJA, we bring together extraordinary relationships, expertise, and influence, and when we combine those strengths around a shared goal, we can accomplish far more than any of us could individually.

Read the rest of Asheesh's letter.

STAFF ACTION ITEMS

SAVE THE DATE FOR GLC 2027

Drum roll, please . . . we're excited to announce that GLC in-person will be in Cairo, Egypt, in November 2027! Details and registration to follow in the months ahead; for now, download the save-the-date (November 15–19) on OneJA.

In addition, in April, join colleagues from across the JA network for GLC Virtual. Our biennial gathering connects JA staff, volunteers, educators, alumni, and partners to share experiences, exchange ideas, and learn from one another. Download the calendar invitation available on OneJA to reserve the dates. And look for next month’s announcement revealing where we’ll gather for GLC in-person 2027.

WATCH THE JA GLOBAL TOWN HALL AND EXPLORE NEW APPROACHES TO PARTNERSHIPS AND IMPACT

How can stronger partnerships and better evidence expand opportunities for young people? At the latest global town hall, JA leaders explored a transformational approach to development, introduced the new Outcomes Framework, and shared examples from JA Americas, JA Korea, and JA Argentina. The session also included updates on World Youth for Action and the upcoming summit in India. Visit OneJA to watch the recording and access the slide deck.

PASS KINDNESS THROUGHOUT THE JA NETWORK

Across the JA network, we see how people’s willingness to share their time, skills, and encouragement can open opportunities for others. That everyday kindness helps our communities thrive. Beginning November 1, we’re inviting our network to take part in Pass Kindness Forward’s Global Kindness Season and spread that spirit even further.With a goal of inspiring more than 1 billion acts of kindness by January 31, 2027, we invite JA staff, alumni, and locations to pledge acts of kindness and challenge others across the network to join.

Download the social media toolkit on OneJA to share the message throughout your community. Make your own pledge, invite your colleagues and alumni to participate, and challenge another JA location to pass kindness forward. Make your kindness pledge.

EXPLORE THE JA AI AMBASSADORS PLAYBOOK

How can AI help young people strengthen their thinking, build confidence, and take greater ownership of their learning? The new JA AI Ambassadors Playbook brings together practical ideas and lessons from colleagues across the network who are exploring that question. Inside, you’ll find 17 ambassador-designed approaches to integrating AI into JA learning experiences, from practicing job interviews to challenging business ideas and refining pitches. The playbook also offers guidance on AI literacy, safety, and inclusion, with students’ judgment and creativity at the center. Download the playbook to explore what colleagues are testing and find ideas to adapt for your own learners and local context. Download the JA AI Ambassadors Playbook.

GLOBAL NEWS

YOUNG PEOPLE SHAPE CONVERSATIONS AT UNGA HIGH-LEVEL WEEK

How can partnerships give young people a stronger voice and clearer pathways to opportunity? During UN General Assembly High-Level Week in New York, JA Worldwide explored that question across five conversations with young people, business leaders, researchers, and youth-serving organizations. Sessions examined AI’s impact on entry-level work, the value of firsthand workplace experiences, learning across generations, and emerging insights from World Youth for Action Listening Labs. JA leaders also contributed to discussions throughout the city on AI literacy, leadership, and experiential learning. Together, these exchanges highlighted opportunities for the JA network to turn research, youth perspectives, and local partnerships into experiences that prepare young people for a changing world. Read the full blog for insights from the week. Read more.

JA WORLDWIDE AND HP LAUNCH GLOBAL COLLABORATION TO PREPARE YOUNG PEOPLE FOR A TECHNOLOGY-DRIVEN FUTURE

JA Worldwide and HP are joining forces and expanding years of local collaboration into a global partnership spanning 37 countries. Through a combination of HP’s technology, skills training, and employee expertise and JA’s global reach, deep local relationships, and more than a century of experience in experiential education, the partnership expects to impact 850,000 young people in its first year. Learn more about this impactful partnership.

NAVANETHEM “NAVI” PILLAY WINS 2026 NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to Navanethem “Navi” Pillay for her lifelong commitment to justice and human dignity as a South African lawyer and international judge. JA Worldwide celebrates the international justice work of Navi Pillay—as well as the work of all 287 candidates, including 79 organizations—whose efforts advance peace, dignity, and opportunity for all. Being counted among them strengthens our commitment to helping young people worldwide build the foundations of lasting peace through economic empowerment. Read our full statement.

NOMINATE EXCEPTIONAL SCHOOLS FOR THE GLOBAL SCHOOLS PRIZE

Do you work with a school that helps young people build confidence, develop skills, and see new possibilities for their futures? The Varkey Foundation’s 2027 Global Schools Prize offers an opportunity to recognize their work, with US$1 million in awards for schools that are advancing education around the world. Ten category winners will each receive US$50,000, and one will receive an additional US$500,000 to expand its impact. Longlisted schools will also join the Global Schools Network, gaining access to partnerships, professional development, and collaboration opportunities.

Nominate a school in your community or encourage its leaders to apply. Applications close December 16, 2026.

ALUMNI NEWS AND OPPORTUNITIES

MEET THE FIRST WORLD YOUTH FOR ACTION DELEGATES

Meet the first group of youth delegates selected for World Youth for Action. They’ll join peers from around the world in Delhi this November, bringing their experiences, perspectives, and ideas to help shape what follows the Global Goals in 2030. Their contributions will inform a white paper of youth-led recommendations, co-signed by leading youth-serving organizations, to be presented to the United Nations in March 2027. Get to know the delegates.

HELP A YOUTH ADVOCATE TRAVEL TO INDIA FOR WORLD YOUTH FOR ACTION

Young people have ideas that deserve a place in global conversations, and financial circumstances shouldn’t keep them from participating. Your contribution to the World Youth for Action scholarship fund can help youth advocates attend the summit in New Delhi, India, November 17–21. There, 50 young people and 50 thought leaders from around the world will develop recommendations for the next set of Global Goals to present to the United Nations. Help make it possible for young people to bring their experiences, perspectives, and ideas to the table. Contribute to the scholarship fund at worldyouthforaction.org.

BRING YOUR PERSPECTIVE TO THE GLOBAL CONVERSATION

Finish this sentence: "For young people in my community to thrive by 2030, the world needs to . . ."

Then tell us one thing you'd be willing to do to help make that happen. Your answer, alongside thousands of others, will be presented during UN General Assembly week in September. Raise your voice. Share your thoughts in the survey and become a World Youth for Action Contributor. (Then send it to a friend!)

APPLY FOR THE GLOBAL YOUTH COUNCIL FROM T4 EDUCATION

T4 Education's Global Youth Council is seeking young leaders ready to step forward—and JA is helping identify exceptional young people from around the world and connect them with the Global Youth Council Fellowship, a year-long international leadership experience for ambitious 16–18-year-olds ready to make a difference. If you know a young person with the curiosity, drive, and potential to lead, please share this opportunity. Learn more and apply for the founding cohort.

REGIONAL UPDATES

JA AFRICA

Somewhere in Lagos, Nairobi, or Accra, young people are deciding what comes after secondary school, but they don't know anyone who has made that leap before. Somewhere in New York, London, or Toronto, an African professional has already made it. DeJAVU, the JA Volunteer University, connects them. JA Africa's new platform gives diaspora professionals a direct path to mentor and guide young people back home through virtual volunteering, wherever they live. Help a young person map their career. Your guidance could be the turning point in a young person's future. Become a DeJAVU mentor.

During Cybersecurity Awareness Month, JA Africa launched CyberSmart, a free digital safety course for young people. Available in English and French on JA Africa's Skills Lab platform, it uses local scenarios and relatable African characters to teach learners how to protect their mobile money PINs, secure their accounts, and spot AI-driven phishing. Three short modules make it easy to finish, and the course also introduces careers in cybersecurity. Read more and take the free course.

JA Africa and Z Zurich Foundation also recently announced Génération Équitable, the Francophone Africa phase of the JA Social Equity Program. Over three years, it will equip 20,000 young people in Burkina Faso, the DRC, and Togo with the skillset, mindset, and opportunities to build livelihoods and stronger communities. Building on a proven first phase that reached about 175,000 young people across nine African countries, the Francophone phase is projected to reach 120,000 lives by 2029. It pairs in-person leadership bootcamps with JA DEEP, an eight-module digital entrepreneurship curriculum, and includes on-site childcare for young mothers and assistive materials for young people with disabilities. Learn more.

JA AMERICAS

The JA Americas Leadership Summit 2026 brought together 18 Executive Directors and 10 Board Chairs from 18 countries, alongside regional leaders and Board members, for three days in Buenos Aires. The gathering offered an opportunity to strengthen relationships, exchange experiences, and work on shared strategic priorities.

The agenda covered leadership, future-ready skills, education, entrepreneurship, sustainable growth, impact measurement, fundraising, communications, and artificial intelligence. Participants shared approaches from their countries, discussed common challenges, and explored ideas they could bring back to their organizations.

For many participants, connecting with colleagues from across the region was particularly valuable. “As a newly appointed Board Chair, the summit provided me with valuable insights and essential information that will help me perform my role more efficiently and effectively,” shared Rankin Morgan, Board Chair of JA St. Lucia.

For Macarena López, Executive Director of DESEM JA Uruguay, attending her first regional gathering offered a different perspective on her work: “Meeting colleagues from across the region and the ROC team in person really made a difference. It gave me the opportunity to step outside our day-to-day national operations, learn how other countries are implementing programs, and better understand the global strategy. I also took away valuable ideas for leading my organization through a period of transition and constant change.”

The summit highlighted the value of a network where leaders can learn directly from one another. By sharing experiences and approaches across countries, JA organizations can build on what others have learned and strengthen their work to create more opportunities for young people. Watch the recap.

JA ASIA PACIFIC

Across the JA network in Asia Pacific, a common theme is taking shape: JA is leading stronger collaboration among educators, policymakers. and industry partners to create more opportunities for young people everywhere.

In a big move, we returned to Australia this year with the JA Company Program, which was commended by Australia’s Minister for Education, the Honorable Sabine Winton MLA, for its alignment with national education priorities. JA Australia is helmed by Rob Gardiner, Interim Executive Director, and volunteer Julie Victoire. In Mongolia, another new market for JA Asia Pacific, we're pleased to welcome Bolor-erdene Bayart, Project Manager of JA Mongolia, advancing our commitment to strengthen local partnerships, support program delivery and build the organizational capacity needed to expand opportunities for young people across Mongolia.

JA Pakistan's new partnerships with education institutions are expanding access to experiential learning. At JA Philippines, a National Conference and Best Practice Meeting strengthened our engagement with educational leaders across the country and an MOU signed with the Department of Education reflects growing recognition of entrepreneurship, financial literacy and work readiness within national education priorities. That commitment to youth development was also evident as the JA Malaysia Youth Entrepreneurship (YE) Showcase celebrated the creativity and enterprise of young people despite challenges posed by haze-related school closures in parts of the country.

Meanwhile, JA Korea is demonstrating how new industries can open fresh pathways for youth engagement. The Better Ground Final showcased the potential of gaming as a platform for creativity, innovation and problem-solving, connecting young people to emerging career opportunities in one of the world's fastest-growing sectors. Equally noteworthy is JA Korea's continued effort to bring other JA members into the initiative, helping evolve what began as a national program into a regional platform aligned with KRAFTON's vision for broader impact.

INJAZ AL-ARAB/JA MENA

INJAZ Al-Arab partnered with Oliver Wyman to conduct a region-wide Alumni Impact Study, bringing together the experiences of 2,476 alumni across 13 countries to better understand the lasting impact of JA and INJAZ programs on young people’s personal and professional journeys. The findings reveal that 81% of alumni credit INJAZ with shaping their career direction, 78% use the skills gained through INJAZ in their jobs, and seven in ten alumni who have completed their studies and are active in the labor market are working or running a business. Furthermore, businesses operated by surveyed alumni have created an estimated 2,000 jobs, highlighting how the INJAZ experience extends beyond the classroom to support entrepreneurship, economic participation, and opportunities for others.

Explore the findings and discover the stories behind the numbers through the interactive microsite at injaz.canvasx.ai.

JA EUROPE

Across Europe, education and workforce leaders are exploring how learning can help young people develop digital skills, prepare for work, and access new opportunities. The EU Code Week 2026 Launch Event puts coding, creativity, and digital skills in focus, while UniCredit Foundation’s Beyond Academic Performance: A European Dialogue on the Future of Education, organized with OECD, Teach For All, and other partners, broadens the conversation about what education should deliver. JA Europe’s forum, From Skills to Opportunity: Shaping Europe’s Future Workforce, brings policymakers, businesses, and education leaders together to explore how skills development and inclusive learning can strengthen young people’s pathways to employment.

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT USA

The Marco’s Pizza Foundation announced it has surpassed $1 million in donations to Junior Achievement USA, turning customers’ round-up contributions into hands-on learning in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Funds raised at participating stores support JA locations in nearby communities, connecting a national partnership with local opportunities for young people. For Foundation President Brandon Hudson, the mission carries a personal connection: As a JA student in the Chicago area, he developed business plans and explored entrepreneurship, experiences that helped shape his path to owning and operating 13 Marco’s Pizza stores. Today, he’s rallying fellow franchisees to help the next generation explore their own potential. Read more.

MILESTONES

AWARDS

JA Singapore received two awards from the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore:
- The organization received the inaugural US250 Corporate Excellence Award (SME & Others Category)
- Executive Director Hau Yee Ng received an Honorable Mention for the Regional Business Catalyst Award.

GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIPS

JA Pakistan signed an MOU with the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP) bringing JA programs to a government network of free residential schools for talented youth from underprivileged backgrounds (the Daanish Schools) and digital learning through a national digital platform for youth (Digital Youth Hub). Read more.
JA Philippines signed a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Education Region IX–Zamboanga Peninsula, Region XI–Davao, and Region XII–SOCCSKSARGEN, marking a significant step toward expanding the program across Mindanao and bringing financial education to more young learners.