INDIANA – Indiana’s Jobs for America’s Graduates program, an initiative within the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, received a $30,000 grant from the Regions Foundation to provide JAG Indiana students with leadership development opportunities.
“We are immensely grateful to the Regions Foundation for this investment in Hoosier students,” said DWD Commissioner Richard Paulk. “In JAG Indiana, students are at the heart of everything we do. We are thrilled to have amazing partners that invest in our future leaders, and we look forward to giving students unique leadership opportunities in a way we have never been able to before.”
Funding will help launch the JAG Indiana State Career Association and provide specific support for leadership development training for more than 150 students across Indiana. These student leaders will help implement service-learning initiatives throughout the school year as well as represent JAG Indiana on a national level.
The grant comes at a vital time as JAG Indiana works to expand from 5,000 to 10,000 students. As new JAG programs are established, students from those schools will also be invited to participate.
“JAG Indiana is equipping students with valuable leadership and employment skills to help prepare them for their next chapter, whether that means heading to college or pursuing their career,” said Marta Self, executive director of the Regions Foundation. “Through this donation, the Regions Foundation is proud to serve a role in elevating the possibilities and advancing the success of thousands of youths as they dream about, explore, and plan for their futures.”
The Regions Foundation announced the donation during a financial literacy activity among central Indiana JAG students. The event was held at Guidesoft, Inc., located on the northeast side of Indianapolis.
JAG is a resiliency-building workforce program that helps Hoosier high school students encountering significant barriers to graduation learn in-demand employability skills and receive career exploration and coaching experiences. JAG programming provides a structured bridge to successful post-secondary education and workforce opportunities. Administered by DWD, JAG Indiana has served 40,000 Hoosier youth and graduated more than 95% of its students from high school since its inception in 2006.
The Alabama-based Regions Foundation supports community investments that positively impact communities served by Regions Bank. The Foundation engages in a grantmaking program focused on priorities including economic and community development; education and workforce readiness; and financial wellness. The Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation funded primarily through contributions from Regions Bank.
For more information JAG Indiana, visit in.gov/dwd/jag.
