Duke Energy Foundation Invests in Workforce Readiness for Washington County Students

Junior Achievement of Kentuckiana (JAKY) is proud to announce it has received a $5,000 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation to support its initiative, Expanding Workforce Readiness in Washington County High Schools. This investment will help bring critical career-readiness programming to students, equipping them with essential skills for future success. 

Junior Achievement has already started making a positive impact at Salem High School, which is the first school to benefit from this initiative. The program aims to expand access to workforce readiness education for high school students throughout Washington County. Its goal is to prepare students for life after graduation by providing them with real-world learning experiences.

As part of the program, Salem High School seniors participated in JA’s Personal Success, a curriculum designed to help students develop employability skills, including communication, interviewing, and professionalism. The program was supported by a volunteer team from First Harrison Bank, who brought real-world insights into the classroom. 

“This is the first time seniors at Salem High School have had the opportunity to participate in JA's Personal Success, and I can't say enough about how amazing the program is,” said Karen Barry, Career Coach at Salem High School. “The curriculum is current, applicable, easy to understand, and above all, engaging. Many of the students who were reluctant to do the series found themselves engaged and enjoying it and had a great experience with the mock interviews. The volunteer team from First Harrison Bank was awesome. They brought real-world experiences into the classroom, shared their own stories, and were very relatable for our students. If you have not tried this program with your students, I would highly recommend it.” 

Junior Achievement of Kentuckiana plans to continue expanding the program to additional schools in Washington County, helping more students gain the skills and confidence needed to succeed in the workforce. 

“Preparing students for success after graduation requires more than awareness; it requires skill-building and real-world connections,” said Jennifer Helgeson, President of Junior Achievement of Kentuckiana. “Thanks to the Duke Energy Foundation, we can bring meaningful, workforce readiness experiences to students in Washington County, helping them build the confidence and capabilities they need to pursue their future.” 

For more information or to get your high school involved, please visit www.jaky.org.