JA Worldwide Launches Institute to Drive Research and Innovation

February 11, 2025

Today, JA Worldwide announced the launch of The JA Institute. As the new research, insights, and thought leadership arm of JA, The JA Institute will drive global conversations on youth education and empowerment while producing innovative research and scalable solutions that advance economic opportunity for millions of young people. 

For more than a century, JA Worldwide has been at the forefront of youth education, operating in over 100 countries and delivering more than 19 million learning experiences annually. JA Worldwide CEO, Asheesh Advani, sees great promise in the institute. “The JA Institute marks a bold new era for JA,” he said. “In this era of accelerated transformation, we’re at our most impactful when we’re investing in research, supporting innovation labs at our local, regional, and global JA locations, and creating opportunities for young people to lead and participate in global conversations.” 

“JA’s extensive global operations already generate invaluable insights, but a more systematic investment in capturing and sharing these lessons will greatly benefit the sector,” said Dr. Rebecca Winthrop, Senior Fellow at Brookings Institution, co-author of The Disengaged Teen, JA Worldwide Board Member, and the inaugural member of the Research Advisory Council for The JA Institute.   

Today’s launch included a roundtable discussion led by JA Worldwide COO Caroline Jenner. The discussion on research and innovation for nonprofit growth included Council members Dr. Rebecca Winthrop, Dr. David Johnson, Matt Sigelman, and Dr. Omar Arias. JA Worldwide Research Strategist and JA alumnus Howard Leong introduced The JA Institute, describing its priorities, focus areas, and advantages. The launch event also included introductions to JA’s AI initiatives, JA Boost, and the Center for Research and JA Labs with Emmalyn Green, Director of Learning Design, JA Worldwide; Christian Erfurt, Global AI Lead, JA Worldwide; and Council member Dr. Roy Saurabh. JA Worldwide CMO Tere Stouffer discussed thought leadership at JA, followed by a review of the Youth Voices initiative with JA Worldwide Director of Youth Advocacy and People Sarah Rapp. Council member Fernando Valenzuela served as discussant. The launch wrapped up with JA Americas CEO Noel Zemborain and JA Worldwide CFO Adnan Bokhari’s look at organizational performance and resilience.

Watch the Launch

A New Publication

Look for the institute’s first publication, the JA Global Impact and Insights Report 2025, in Q1 of 2025. Throughout the rest of the year, The JA Institute will publish research on GenAI’s impact on entrepreneurship education among underserved communities in ten countries, pilot JA’s own large language model for young entrepreneurs and their teachers and mentors, and expand our thought leadership around youth issues. 

The JA Institute is committed to incubating bold ideas and scaling effective solutions. By leveraging data-informed insights, developing in-house technologies, and fostering partnerships, the institute aims to expand JA’s reach and deepen its impact. Through its initiatives, The JA Institute will ensure that young people worldwide are prepared to thrive in an ever-evolving global economy.