Junior State of America

*Attention JSA Alumni* We are working to create a way for alumni to stay connected, share their experiences, and continue the conversations that JSA sparked in all of us. If you’d like to remain informed and involved with JSA alumni initiatives and updates, we invite you to opt into future communications by filling out this form at https://bit.ly/46S9zZ2.

It is with a heavy heart that the Board of Directors of the Junior State of America (JSA) is announcing the closure and dissolution of the organization effective August 31, 2024. After 90 years of inspiring student engagement in civics and activism, and after long business considerations, we have made this difficult decision to officially close the organization.

While this chapter of JSA's history is coming to an end, the impact of our organization will continue to resonate through the hundreds of thousands of lives touched by our programs. Thank you for being a part of the JSA community and for your unwavering commitment to being the people who make a difference.

Read the full announcement at https://bit.ly/4ciIIqc.

Hey there, Boston-based JSA alumni! It's time to celebrate JSA's 90th anniversary with a happy hour on Thursday, July 18. Let's come together and reminisce about the impact JSA has had on your lives and how it continues to shape the leaders of tomorrow. This is an awesome opportunity to reconnect with old friends and make new connections. Mark your calendars and make sure to RSVP at https://bit.ly/4eOJOMA.

And don’t forget to spread the word to as many JSA alumni in the Boston region as possible. Can’t wait to see you all there!

JSA student delegate Annika was spotted in Rome proudly wearing her JSA 90th Anniversary T-shirt. Join us in our 90th anniversary celebration by purchasing your T-shirt or hoodie at https://bit.ly/3RJlUYX.

Congratulations to the winners of the JSA Chapter of the Year Award! This year's winners are Morton West High School, Kofa High School, Woodbridge Academy Magnet School, Health Careers High School, John H. Pitman High School, Naples High School, and Clarkstown South High School. These chapters are recognized for their exceptional dedication to fostering political awareness, debate, and community involvement among students.

Watch their video submissions at this link: https://bit.ly/3zep2WC.

John H. Pitman High School's JSA chapter has been honored with the prestigious JSA National Civic Impact Award, marking the first time they have received this recognition. This award is given to the JSA chapter that has made the greatest impact in promoting civic awareness and engagement among their peers. The recipient of this award is selected from the Chapter of the Year honorees, a title that the JSA Pitman Chapter has earned four times.

Read more in this news article: https://bit.ly/45HqPzw

The JSA board of directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Rachel Kaganoff as interim chief executive officer. Rachel served as JSA's CEO for four years before retiring in 2023. Rachel was a devoted JSAer in high school. She served on the JSA Board of Directors for more than a decade, including serving as JSA’s second female Board President. Learn more about Rachel at https://jsa.org/people/rachel-kaganoff.

Our student leaders will be hosting a virtual mixer on June 30 to guide interested students through the process of starting a JSA Chapter. This mixer will provide valuable information on how to establish and run a successful JSA Chapter at their high school. Students will have the opportunity to gain insight into the benefits of joining JSA, such as honing their debate and public speaking skills, as well as engaging in discussions on important political and social issues.

If you know a high school student who would be interested in this opportunity, please encourage them to attend the virtual mixer to learn more. Registration link – https://forms.gle/CkT8ao5njp9U5ZKG9

Financial aid is available for our three-week residential summer program at Stanford University. The Stern Civics Immersion Program is open to high school students in grades 10 - 12. Participants will be empowered to take action in response to today’s political issues.

Learn more about the Stern Civics Immersion program at https://jsa.org/programs/civics-immersion.

We extend our sincere gratitude to Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris for her acknowledgment of JSA's efforts to engage young people in our democracy. We are honored to receive her letter and greatly appreciate her recognition of our organization’s commitment to fostering civic engagement and leadership among youth nationwide.

We celebrated our 90th anniversary with a sold-out gala in Washington, D.C. at the National Museum of Women in the Arts on May 11. The room was filled with 120 guests, including board members, donors, alums, students, staff, and friends of JSA. The U.S. Representative Mark Takano delivered an inspiring keynote, highlighting the important role JSA plays in shaping our youth for active participation in our democracy. We also raised over $150,000 through sponsorships and individual contributions. Relive the gala through these photos at https://bit.ly/JSA90GalaPhotos.

Thank you to our sponsors: The Rachel Kaganoff Honorary Table, Beth Mitchner and Doug Wertheimer, Vivian Tsai, APCO and Dan Meyers, Class of 2013 and 2014, Holly Levanto, Klein/Johnson Group, San Francisco Jewish Community Foundation, Shayna and Derek van Hoften, The Teacher Advisor Honorary Table, Tom Warden.

Congratulations to Audrey Landeros and Karen Valentia Clopton for being selected as this year's recipients of the inaugural JSA Alumni Awards. Audrey received the JSA Outstanding Young Alumni Award and Karen was recognized with the JSA Visionary Award. Both alums have achieved personal success and significantly contributed to JSA's enduring legacy of fostering leadership and civic engagement. The recipients truly embody the spirit and principles of JSA.

Learn more about our alumni honorees at https://bit.ly/JSA90thAlumniAwards.

We are thrilled to introduce to you a limited edition collection celebrating the 90th anniversary of JSA. Designed by Midwest student delegate Annika T., this exclusive t-shirt and hoodie encapsulates the mission of JSA. Annika's design represents JSA's values of bridging, democracy, leadership, and student-led. The image reinforces that all views lead to JSA.

Buy your t-shirt or hoodie before they sell out at https://www.bonfire.com/90-years-of-jsa/.

Calling JSA PNW Alumni! In celebration of our 90th anniversary, we are hosting an alumni happy hour for all JSA alums in the Pacific Northwest. Please join us on Thursday, June 6, for an evening of reconnecting and reminiscing. We can’t wait to see you there! Please RSVP at https://bit.ly/2024JSAPNWHappHour.

We’re wrapping Spring State conventions with the Ohio River Valley student delegates. They hosted their last convention of the year in Columbus, OH. Debate topics included the TikTok ban, youth political power, international wars, and laissez-faire, among many others. In honor of JSA's 90th anniversary, students invited JSA alum for a student vs alum debate block. The event concluded with an activism fair featuring local organizations, a tour of the Statehouse, and the announcement of the 2024-25 student-elected governor and lieutenant governor.

Our Northeast student delegates hosted their two-day Spring State convention in Connecticut. They focused on promoting civic engagement through debates, thought talks, and activism speakers. Thank you to our four keynote speakers who made time to talk to our student delegates about the importance of being involved in our democracy.

Keynote Speakers:
Jillian Gilchrest, 18th District of West Hartford in the Connecticut General Assembly
State Senator Saud Anwar
Representative Joe Hoxha, 78th House District of Bristol and Plymouth
Senator Matthew Lesser

Students from across the Mid-Atlantic region traveled to Philadelphia for their annual Spring State convention. This two-day event was filled with debates on important issues impacting our democracy, an activism senior brunch, and the announcement of the newly elected student leaders for the 2024-25 school year.

Our students in the Southeast hosted the final JSA convention of the year, Spring State. During their one-day convention, JSAers participated in debates on the presidential nominees, bitcoin, paid parental leave, border security, among many more current political issues. The convention concluded with best speaker gavel awards and the announcement of next year’s elected officials for the southeast region.

We are completely sold out for our 90th Anniversary Gala. Thank you to our sponsors and everyone who purchased a ticket. We can't wait to celebrate with you in a few weeks!

If you didn't have a chance to grab a seat, you can still support JSA: https://bit.ly/JSA1934

NorCal students hosted a panel of JSA alums at their 2024 Spring State. JSA alums shared with students how their JSA experience helped them be successful beyond high school and college. Student delegates also had an opportunity to ask the panel several questions; among them were their favorite JSA memory and college application process.

Thank you to JSA alums for coming out and sharing their wisdom with our students.

Vivian Tsai, JSA Board Chair
Sabrina Lieberman, JSA Board Member
Jeffrey Warwick
Dan Hess
Matthew Bristley

This past weekend, JSA student delegates from Northern California debated political issues, participated in thought talks on current events, learned how to take action through their activism block, and heard from student candidates running for elected positions. Congratulations to the students leading JSA NorCal for the 2024-25 school year!

We can’t wait to see everyone at our 90th Anniversary Gala in Washington, D.C. Thank you to our platinum sponsor for supporting this special event.

We're on the road for Spring State conventions! Recently, JSA Pacific Northwest students convened in Seattle, WA, on April 13 - 14 to debate on topics such as brain implants, the Palestine conflict, AI, and high school attendance, among many more. Our students heard from keynote speaker Senator Phil Fortunato and hosted an activism panel of speakers.

This , we’re taking you back to the 2018 Montezuma Leadership Summit. Each year, we host a leadership summit for JSA student delegates identified as emerging leaders in their JSA state. Students participated in workshops on activism, fundraising, communications and leadership development. Teacher advisors in attendance were guided on building student leadership, the Teacher Advisor-student relationship and shared the value of a JSA Teacher Advisor.

Help JSA continue fulfilling its mission by making a donation today at https://bit.ly/JSA1934.

As part of our 90th anniversary, JSA alums were invited to participate at Spring State. We had a great alumni turnout at the SoCal Spring State convention. Thank you to the alums for participating in mentorship sessions with current JSA students.

Come join our team as development associate! In this role, you will work with our development director to support donor outreach, face-to-face meetings, asking for philanthropic support, writing thank you letters, and planning events. This is a remote position that can be fulfilled from anywhere within the United States. Apply now at https://bit.ly/3vZR6eX.

Don’t miss out on the biggest JSA celebration of the year! Join us in Washington, D.C. for our 90th Anniversary Gala on Saturday, May 11. Representative Mark Takano will keynote our special event and we will recognize the alumni award honorees. Deadline to buy tickets or become a sponsor is Saturday, April 20. https://bit.ly/JSAGala90

Our student delegates are wrapping up the school year with the final convention -- Spring State. JSA Texas gathered April 6 - 7 in Houston, TX, to engage in thought talks, political discourse, and activism activities such as representative letter writing, petition creation, and social media campaigning. JSAers also heard from a panel of JSA alums who shared their post-graduation journey. The convention ended with announcing the 2024-25 JSA Texas student leaders.

Congratulations to:
Feifan L., Governor
Emerald T., Lt. Governor
Andy S., Speaker of the House

A group of young girls at Alliance Public Schools in California is leading the way in empowering girls everywhere, specifically across JSA Nation. JSAGrrrl was created to give girls in JSA the space to amplify their voices and stories. The impact of JSAGrrrl has fostered a strong community within JSA Nation of students and teachers who uplift and empower girls everywhere through creative and artistic platforms. Read more about JSAGrrrl at https://bit.ly/JSAGrrrl.