Junior Achievement was founded in 1919 by Theodore Vail, president of American Telephone & Telegraph; Horace Moses, president of Strathmore Paper Co.; and Senator Murray Crane of Massachusetts. Today, Junior Achievement USA is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and provides strategic direction, leadership, and support to 109 JA Areas across the nation. Local volunteer boards of directors comprised of business, education, and civic leaders set the policy and direction for each local office.

Nationally, Junior Achievement reaches more than 4.9 million students per year in 212,101classrooms and after-school locations. JA programs are taught by volunteers in inner cities, suburbs, and rural areas throughout the United States, by 106 Area Offices in all 50 states. JAWPA is proud that in these unprecedented times, JA impacted nearly 42,000 students last school year, across western PA and northern WV, through both in-school and virtual JA programs and resources.