Junior Achievement and PMI Educational Foundation Pilot New Online Project Management Training Module for Teens

Junior Achievement USA (JA), the leading youth education nonprofit teaching K-12 students real-world financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work-readiness skills, today unveiled a new online project management training module for teens. Created with the support of the PMI Educational Foundation (PMIEF), the free Web-based module helps them acquire and apply project management knowledge as they simulate managing a fictional community service project.

Funded through a PMIEF grant, "Project Management Module on Demand Powered by PMIEF" is hosted within JA's innovative online Learning Management System (LMS) in addition to other JA content targeted to middle and high school students. The interactive module introduces teens to project management concepts to not only help them build essential skills for academic and career success, but to also support their participation in JA's myriad of programs. These programs enable students to develop, strengthen and practice 21^st century skills such as collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity through a blended learning approach that includes experiential activities.

"Project Management Module on Demand - Powered by PMIEF" will be piloted with a select group of JA participants across the country before it is fine-tuned for national dissemination.

JA programs are facilitated by a volunteer, usually from the local business community, who shares his or her personal and professional experiences to enhance student learning. JA's blended learning model allows volunteers to collaborate in the delivery of JA content, thereby leveraging numerous individuals' skillsets and expertise for the benefit of students. Members of the Project Management Institute (PMI), the world's leading not-for-profit professional membership association for which PMIEF is the philanthropic arm, often volunteer with JA in their local community.

"JA prepares young people to succeed in a world that demands, highly competitive, globally sophisticated skills, " said Michael DePrisco, PMIEF Chief Operating Officer and PMI Vice President of Academic and Educational Programs. "Project management skills are necessary for students to attain their educational and occupational goals as well as to contribute to the world's economy. This partnership creates an opportunity to bring PMIEF and JA together in a unique collaboration that will benefit youth in both the immediate and long-term."

Jack E. Kosakowski, president and chief executive officer of Junior Achievement USA, added, "We are grateful for the support of PMIEF in helping JA provide our students with these important project management skills and the opportunity to apply them in a real-world context."