News

JA Europe rewarded for its vision, achievements and innovative collaboration by JA Worldwide

On 17-20 July, the JA Global Leadership Conference 2017 took place in Atlanta (Georgia). Under the theme ‘One JA’, the conference gathered some 300 JA leaders from across the globe, committed to align with the current strategic priorities and prepare for the upcoming JA Centennial in 2019.

The event was also the occasion to celebrate JA’s success and recognize personalities who exemplify JA. A special celebration dinner recognized those who had 30, 35 and 40 years of service to JA and announced the recipients of various prestigious awards. JA Europe distinguished itself by winning three out of the four international awards.

• The Soraya Salti Award was created in memory of the visionary leader who started INJAZ Al-Arab in the Middle East, which now reaches students across the region in 14 countries. It recognizes innovative JA visionaries who move JA forward in a positive way, bringing systematic change to a country or a region. The co-winners of this very special award were Majid Khalid Al-shammiri, CEO of INJAZ Yemen, and Caroline Jenner, CEO of JA Europe.
  
  Supported by JA Europe board members and staff, Caroline Jenner is a committed visionary who believes in the mission of JA and is pushing the boundaries to move JA forward in a positive way. “Caroline united us all together in 2002 into one European and since that day is working with all of us to make us leaders in what we do in our countries” confirmed the Chair of the Board, Michael Mercieca.
  
  Caroline has indeed been pushing boundaries to move JA forward in Europe, to position JA as the leader in the field in the continent and is also contributing to the overall strategic direction of JA Worldwide. She started a national organisation (JA Slovakia which is now celebrating its 25th Anniversary and is a Model Organisation in Europe), then created the first JA International regional office in Central and Eastern Europe. She finally united 40 European countries under JA Europe, reaching 3.5 young people each year.

• The JA Collaboration Award, recognizing member countries that participate in a collaborative project that promotes the mission of JA has also been given to European JA offices: JA Bulgaria, JA Greece, JA Latvia, JA Norway, & JA Romania. They worked together over the past year to develop GREENT a pilot programme training teachers how to teach green entrepreneurship to high school students.

• The Lifetime Achievement Award is a recognition of a chief executive of a member country who has contributed significantly to the growth and impact of JA programmes at national level. Nina Kuznetsova, Executive Director of JA Russia won the Award, after demonstrating incredible results in terms of activity and reach in her country. Since 1998, she has been successful in establishing new business–education partnerships in order to promote young people’s entrepreneurial knowledge and skills and the benefits of entrepreneurial mindsets in Russian’s culture.