Helping Students in the Carolinas Achieve More

Young people are hungry for success but often can’t find the opportunities they need to help them get there – this is the challenge Junior Achievement aims to address. And through our FH4Inclusion program in Charlotte, we aim to support.

Junior Achievement of Central Carolinas impacts nearly 6,000 students with hands-on curriculum programs surrounding preparation for the workforce, personal finance and entrepreneurship for K-12 students. It’s backed by the support of 5,000 annual volunteers and 350 corporate and community partners. While the organization seeks to serve all students across its 53-county service area, it puts a significant emphasis on supporting students who don’t have access to as many opportunities.

Today, mentors and volunteers are provided curriculum program kits based on the student’s grade level. These kits are originally purchased from the Junior Achievement headquarters and cost $120 to make and ship. To help offset these expenses, the local FleishmanHillard team volunteered to rebuild kits for students in first and second grade, repurposing the materials from old, returned kits, and rebuilding new kits from remaining materials for future student mentors. Our efforts saved the organization a total of $2,050 in kit costs that can now be allocated elsewhere for the benefit of local students.

“A child’s socio-economic status should never impact their ability to receive a quality education or learn about what the future has in store for them,” said Alex Portugal, a member of FleishmanHillard Charlotte’s Social and Innovation team. “So many children in the Charlotte community benefit from the work completed at Junior Achievement, and our helping hands truly support their mission.”

Our Charlotte team is excited to support Junior Achievement in its future endeavors, continuing to empower students and provide them with the tools they need to strive for success.

Katelyn Suiter supports our social and digital innovation team, and Elizabeth Comtois supports our media relations and corporate reputation groups. Both drive FleishmanHillard Diversity, Equity & Inclusion efforts in our North Carolina offices, with Katelyn sitting in Charlotte and Elizabeth sitting in Raleigh.