WHAT: Local celebrities including former Atlanta Brave and Falcon Brian Jordan, Fox 5 news anchor Deidra Dukes, radio personalities Murph Dawg & CJ from 95.5 The Beat, Mixx Master Mitch from KISS 104.1 and others will join Junior Achievement of Georgia to celebrate “JA Day,” a day of corporate volunteerism teaching the youth of our community the importance and value of being financially literate. The inaugural event will take place in six Atlanta area public schools where volunteers will spend a few hours of their time inspiring 8th grade students to explore personal finance, and how their current skills, interests and values will help determine their education and career options.

Volunteers will guide students through “The Economics of Success,” a structured curriculum designed by Junior Achievement Worldwide to enhance students’ critical thinking and financial decision-making skills through role-playing, self-assessments and working in peer groups. The program also challenges students to consider potential career options and demonstrates the economic benefits of staying in school.

Other notable participants include:

• Asante Bradford, Georgia Film, Video & Music Division
• Holly Johnson, Ms. Black Georgia 2008
• Tracey Wright, President of InView Solutions
• Tonya Williams, Real Estate Expert and host of HGTV’s “Designed to Sell”
• Shelley Wynter, WAOK-AM radio personality and host of “The Right Side with Shelley Wynter”
• Twanda Black, Art Terrell and Youngblood, KISS 104.1 radio personalities

WHEN:

Thursday, May 15, 2008 - 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

WHERE:

Griffin Middle School, 4010 King Springs Rd., Smyrna
Riverdale Middle School, 400 Roberts Drive, Riverdale
Shiloh Middle School, 4285 Shiloh Road, Snellville
South Forsyth Middle School, 2865 Old Atlanta Rd., Cumming
Sylvan Hills Middle School, 1461 Sylvan Road, S.W., Atlanta
Webb Bridge Middle School, 4455 Webb Bridge Rd., Alpharetta

Junior Achievement of Georgia offers a variety of age-appropriate programs, beginning with the elementary level, that help prepare young people for the real world by showing them how to generate wealth and effectively manage it, how to create jobs which make their communities more robust, and how to apply entrepreneurial thinking to the workplace. For more information, visit www.georgia.ja.org. To volunteer, please contact Rebecca Stoll at rstoll@georgia.ja.org or call (404) 257-1932 ext. 210.

About Junior Achievement of Georgia, Inc.
Using hands-on experiences, Junior Achievement of Georgia inspires and prepares young people to succeed in a global economy. JA brings the real world to students, opening their minds to their full potential by bridging the business and education communities. JA's success depends on the involvement of people who want to make a difference in the life of a child, which is possible through volunteering time or through making donations. During the 2006-2007 school year, JA of Georgia impacted over 107,000 students statewide through seven district offices located in Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Dalton, Gainesville, Savannah, and the Putnam, Green & Morgan tri-county area. For more information, visit www.georgia.ja.org

Interview and Photo Opportunities:

• Brian Jordan, Murph Dawg & CJ, and others, as well as JA of Georgia President Donna Stone Buchanan, various students from the JA Program
• Pre-event phone interviews Monday – Friday
• On-site interviews - By Appointment Only
• Various celebrities teaching JA curriculum to students