Wow! The JA Pitch Competition brought teams from across Central Maryland to the Junior Achievement Youth Workforce & Innovation Center to compete for top spots. Our student entrepreneurs displayed their companies, delivered stellar pitches, and gave it their all. With special remarks from local Chick-fil-A operator Johnie Greene, he shared with students a sneak peak into being a local entrepreneur. Greene alongside judges Derek Matthews and Roger Young of T. Rowe Price crowned the winners: - First place Howard County Public School System Public School System Oakland High School Deja Brew - Second place Baltimore County Public Schools New Town High School Zenith Point - Fan Favorite Baltimore City Public Schools Digital Harbor High School Digi-Bees Congratulations to all the winners, but most of all, all of our student entrepreneurs for their hard work and dedication. From building critical life skills to creating in-demand products and services, our JA students are ready for the future! Special thanks to our entrepreneurship partners for their continued support of JA programming. Wells Fargo The Kahlert Foundation (fb)

Northwest Academy students were in for a treat when students from Towson University volunteered as their mentors in JA Finance Park! TU students represented several organizations from the college, including Impactful Minds, Money & Minorities and National Council of Negro Women (NCNW). Mattia, a Junior at TU and frequent JA volunteer, shared: "The opportunity to help students build confidence in financial literacy and decision-making has been incredibly rewarding, and I’m passionate about continuing this work to ensure more young people gain these essential life skills. I want to connect Towson University students with this volunteer opportunity so that kids can see someone close in age to them succeeding academically. Hopefully, this will serve as a reminder of the power of education and the transformational impact that mentorship from someone relatable can have on their aspirations." A tremendous thank you to Mattia and our dedicated TU volunteers for sharing their time and talents with us! #volunteeropportunity #JAFinancePark #TowsonUniversity #mentorship (fb)