Ed Bastian announces $2M sponsorship of Junior Achievement’s ‘3DE’ program during visit with Sir Richard Branson
During a visit with Sir Richard Branson at Junior Achievement (JA) of Georgia, Delta CEO Ed Bastian made a surprise announcement of a $2 million contribution towards 3DE (3-D Education), the new name of JA Academy unveiled today. The donation, distributed in five $400,000 annual installments starting in 2019, makes Delta a National Signature Partner of 3DE.
3DE re-engineers high school education to be more relevant, experiential and authentically connected to the complexities that exist beyond the classroom walls. Its school-within-a-school model has proven to significantly elevate students' social, academic and career readiness outcomes.
Bastian and Branson visited the Junior Achievement Chick-Fil-A Foundation Discovery Center in Atlanta where they discussed the Delta-Virgin Atlantic partnership as well as the importance of education and developing apprenticeships to drive success. Both praised JA for the work its doing to help educate today's students, including with 3DE.
"JA is making a huge difference in education, and we applaud you for the impact you are making and want to be one of those national partners that support the work you will be providing through 3DE and the many programs you offer the students of America," Bastian said. He also noted Delta's commitment to encourage its people to volunteer in their own communities and work with students to make education come to life in real world ways.
Jack Harris, President and CEO of JA of Georgia moderated the discussion, which was attended by local community, civic and business leaders.
"The launch of 3DE is the result of profound and measurable outcomes demonstrated by our students and schools. The announcement at today's event represents our shared belief in the ability to meaningfully transform education through private-public partnerships. We are grateful to Delta Air Lines for its outstanding investment in the future of 3DE and the potential it provides for our students and communities," said Harris.
Notably, 3DE students consistently outperform their host school peers on 100 percent of the statistically-significant Georgia Milestones and other Academic Benchmarks. This same progress is also seen in their increased engagement in school with 55 percent fewer absences compared to their school peers.
Delta partners with 30 Junior Achievement chapters across four continents to spark students' interest in aviation careers, financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship.
About 3DE
3DE was developed from JA Academy, which began in 2015 through a joint venture with Fulton County Schools and integrated into Banneker High School in the City of South Fulton near Atlanta. During the four-year pilot, JA Academy partnered with four school systems and expanded into six traditional public high schools. These strategically-selected locations tested the model against various demographics, school system structures and levels of student achievement. As a result of the measurable and consistent outcomes driving student achievement and school progress, JA aims to create more pipelines to economic opportunity by expanding the holistic school model into locations throughout Georgia and beyond.
About Junior Achievement Georgia
Junior Achievement of Georgia's programs are intensely focused on bringing relevance, authenticity and application into everyday learning to energize students about academics and their future possibilities. Through partnerships with the business and education communities, JA brings academics to life by creating meaningful learning experiences.
Source: Delta News Hub, Staff Writer
Photo Credit: Chris Rank