JA Alumni News: 2023 Year-End Round Up

Dear JA alumnus,

As the JA Worldwide Global Leadership Conference (GLC)—a high-level strategic conference for JA staff around the world—wrapped up in Thailand in November, we were proud to have JA alumni represented on stage to discuss strategic priorities in AI, expand the JA Alumni Leaders Academy, showcase youth voices, and much more.

I had the immense privilege of participating in the panel discussion on AI and Education, along with Christian Erfurt, a JA alumnus from Denmark and the Chief Evangelist of BeMyEyes. Moreover, Stevia Putri, President of Prestasi Junior Indonesia Alumni, and Domantas Meliukštis, Country Manager of JA Alumni Europe, stole the stage on Day 4 of GLC, discussing the importance of giving youth a voice. Sarah Rapp, Director of Alumni & People Engagement at JA Worldwide, announced the expansion of youthvoices.org with MIT Center for Constructive Communication and Cortico, as well as JA Worldwide’s role as a founding partner of Fora Mobile.

If you’d like access to free resources on AI to learn about how AI might affect the future of jobs, you can read this article I wrote here.

Warm regards,

Howard Leong | Global Alumni Ambassador

FOR THE GLOBE

January 2024 JA Alumni Clubhouse

Join us on January 17, 2024, at 9amEST/3pmCET/10pmHKT to brainstorm and exchange ideas on best practices for building your local alumni chapter. Although the agenda isn’t set in stone, expect to hear an update about Youth Voices, the 2024 Global Alumni Summit, and more. RSVP here.

JA Alumni at GLC

JA alumni participated in the JA Worldwide GLC, both virtually and in Bangkok. Our gratitude extends to:

• Dana Khairallah, INJAZ Lebanon Alumni and former Gather Reporter, for hosting GLC Virtual Sessions.
• Ibrahim Coulibaly, President of JA Cote D'Ivoire Alumni, for participating in GLC Virtual Session #7: Regional Alumni Leaders and their Impact.
• Loran Geskens, President of JA Alumni Europe, for participating in GLC Virtual Session #7: Regional Alumni Leaders and their Impact.
• Mone Hamada, President of JA Japan Alumni, for participating in GLC Virtual Session #7: Regional Alumni Leaders and their Impact.
• Angel Payumo, President of JA Guam Alumni, for participating in GLC Virtual Session #7: Regional Alumni Leaders and their Impact.
• Domantas Meliukštis, Country Manager of JA Alumni Europe, for contributing to the Youth Voices panel at GLC Bangkok.
• Stevia Putri, President of Prestasi Junior Indonesia Alumni, for contributing to the Youth Voices panel at GLC Bangkok.
• Christian Erfurt, JA Denmark Alumni and Chief Evangelist of BeMyEyes, for contributing to the AI and Education panel and strategizing the incorporation of AI into JA’s operations.

We appreciate the contribution of JA alumni and are excited to see more JA alumni participation on our world stage.

Expansion of Youth Voices. Founding Partner of Fora Mobile.

At GLC Bangkok, we announced the expansion of Youth Voices, our partnership with MIT Center for Constructive Communication and Cortico, which enters its third phase, including JA as the official founding partner for Fora Mobile, which launches next month. This new app expands the Youth Voices project and makes it accessible on the go. Watch the announcement from Deb Roy, Director, MIT Center for Constructive Communication and Cortico co-founder.

JA Instagram Live Season 3: Alumni Leaders Globally

The latest season of JA Live, our weekly live chat series on Instagram, wrapped late last year, capping an inspirational season of talks with JA alumni from around the world. If you missed an episode, don’t worry; you can catch the recordings. Learn more about JA Live and find links to each episode from this season here.

JA Alumni Engagement Award: Congratulations to JA Alumni Europe

The JA Alumni Engagement Award (given every two years at GLC) recognizes a JA location that has developed robust alumni strategies, including tracking of, communication with, and engagement projects for JA alumni. These are the finalists and the winner: 

• INJAZ Bahrain
• Winner: JA Alumni Europe
• JA Alumni Indonesia
• JA Korea
• Junior Achievement of Southwestern New England (USA)
• Junior Achievement Uganda

Congratulations to all the finalists for their impressive commitment to alumni engagement.

LiveWell by Zurich: Connecting Generations

Maintaining a strong sense of mental wellbeing is the key to tackling tough challenges. As we grow, we learn lessons that can be used to guide the people around us and help us to build stronger bonds with those we support. With this in mind, the Z Zurich Foundation and LiveWell by Zurich have collaborated to introduce Connecting Generations: Guiding teenagers through their formative years, an educational series hosted in the LiveWell app that aims to enhance the mental wellbeing of young people and those who support them. Connecting Generations provides JA Alumni with valuable resources designed to help deepen their understanding of adolescents, support their mental health, and foster stronger connections with young people. Connecting Generations is fully integrated into LiveWell, an innovative holistic wellbeing platform designed to help you make health a habit. As a special offer, LiveWell, who recently presented at the GLC Summit, is now available to all JA members for free. Simply download the app using this link (Activation Code: 37SX-8EFK-9XZP) and take full advantage of this incredible resource.

WHAT'S HAPPENING

National Coordinators Meeting (NCM) Europe

JA alumni leaders across Europe gathered in Tallinn, Estonia, for their bi-annual NCM. Fifteen European countries united to exchange ideas, strategize new initiatives, and plan impactful projects for our local networks.

The NCM highlighted a shared commitment to boost our JA alumni networks and make a lasting impact. The knowledge and experiences shared during the weekend are kickstarters of new opportunities ready to be spread around Europe.

The Beyond Horizons Summit at Tumon, Guam

In late February 2024, JA Guam Alumni will organize an in-person summit gathering JA students and alumni across the island, as well as some international guests, who will attend virtually. The summit’s goal is to engage in discussions that span the realms of entrepreneurship, STEM, and cosmopolitanism. The summit also includes an exploration of the scenic island of Guam. Connect with Angel Payumo, President of JA Guam Alumni, if you’d like to be involved.

JA Career Connect: Opportunities for African Youth

In partnership with Google.org and the Z Zurich Foundation, JA Africa launched JA Career Connect, a platform that matches JA alumni across sub-Saharan Africa with job opportunities. Watch the launch event here, recorded live out of Johannesburg, South Africa Ntwanano Rikhotso, President of JA South Africa Alumni, witnessed the launch of JA Career Connect.

Prestasi Junior Indonesia (PJI) Alumni Event Sprints in December

PJI Alumni hosted its first online event, GatherToGather: Navigating Careers and Inspiring Leadership, with more than 80 participants. Special thanks to Emmanuel Nyame, President of JA Ghana Alumni, and Angel Payumo, President of JA Guam Alumni, for inspiring Indonesian youth.

Throughout last month, PJI Alumni was on an events sprint across Indonesia:

• December 2: PJI Alumni Greater East (Bali & Papua) Online TalkShow on The Role of Leadership in Entrepreneurship
• December 3: PJI Alumni Greater Jakarta Car Free Day & Alumni Bonding #PlasticFreeDay
• December 9: PJI Alumni Central Java & DIY Pizza Workshop & Alumni Bonding
• December 16: PJI Alumni West Java Bake&Bond (Baking Workshop) and PJI Alumni East Java GatherToGrow
• January 16: PJI Alumni Greater West Workshop for Small Businesses

Please find out more on PJI Alumni’s Instagram.

Leading Forward: Mentorship Program by JA Alumni Europe

From October to August, on a ten-month cycle, JA Alumni Europe pairs current JA alumni leaders with previous JA alumni leaders across Europe for a professional-development mentorship program. The program aims to supercharge the development of leadership skills in current JA alumni leaders.

Ted Mentoring JA Company Program Students

Last month, Ted Mwatha, President of JA Kenya Alumni, took some time out of his day to attend the JA Company Program event to mentor and provide feedback to students about their entrepreneurial pursuits.

JA Japan Alumni Ideathon 2023

In December, JA Japan Alumni hosted a strategic priorities marathon with JA alumni at Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. The committee discussed with an enthusiastic group of JA alumni to set strategic priorities for the following year.

Alumni Entrepreneurs Gathering in Brussels, Belgium

In November, JA Alumni Europe gathered alumni entrepreneurs from the network, marking the start of collaborative efforts to share innovative business ideas, discuss challenges, and plan future paths together. This event sets the stage for upcoming meetings aimed at cultivating collaboration and empowering our entrepreneurial community.

Establishment of JA Zambia Alumni

JA Zambia Alumni, under the leadership of Steven Banda, formed its first committee with six members, who will bring forth three strategic priorities: mentorship, collaboration, and work readiness. Follow JA Zambia Alumni on LinkedIn for updates about upcoming opportunities.

JA Malaysia Alumni Giggle and Jingle Volunteering Series

In a five-part volunteering initiative, the Giggle and Jingle Volunteering Series gathered JA Malaysia alumni to help sort, package, and deliver children’s toy donations during the season of joy and Christmas. 

Responsible Marketing Challenge by Ferrero and JA Alumni Europe

Last year, university students from Belgium and the Netherlands pitched ideas for innovative and effective socially responsible marketing strategies for Ferrero. The winning groups were invited to the Italian Cultural Institution of Brussels on November 22, where young voices pitched their ideas about responsible marketing. Congratulations to the Ferrero Collective team, which won the Responsible Marketing Challenge.

HOUSEKEEPING

Join the Alumni Leadership Group on Gather.

Email Sarah Rapp for potential partnerships and synergy.

Email Howard Leong for JA alumni involvement.