Jim Moran Foundation awards major grant to Junior Achievement

Junior Achievement (JA) of North Florida has been awarded a grant totaling $120,800 from The Jim Moran Foundation toward its JA Eating Healthy on a Budget program for the 2019-2020 school year and summer. The program is administered at the JA Financial Literacy Center in New Town to third-grade students throughout Duval County.

“We are so appreciative to The Jim Moran Foundation for this generous grant which will help us continue a program that has been proven successful,” said Steve St. Amand, president of JA of North Florida. “Thanks to their continued support, more than 6,000 students were able to participate in our eating healthy on a budget program this past school year and we are hoping to serve even more in the next school year. This program gives kids a hands-on real-life budgeting experience that empowers them for the future.”

The JA Eating Healthy on a Budget program brings third-grade students from Title I elementary schools in Duval County to the JA Financial Literacy Center in New Town for a one-day, hands-on learning experience. The students are taught how to save and manage their money and how to choose healthy foods. After the classroom instruction, the students are given $5 to spend at the Jacksonville Farmer’s Market to purchase fruit ingredients for a fruit salad they learned and budgeted for earlier in the day.

“Our partnership with Junior Achievement of North Florida is providing children with a fun learning experience that will help them make nutritious food choices throughout their lives,” said Jan Moran, chairman and president of The Jim Moran Foundation.

The Jim Moran Foundation grant will cover costs including transportation to the center and the farmer’s market, insulated bags for the children to transport their food and other costs associated with the program.