December 20, 2022, Edison, New Jersey – JA of New Jersey (JANJ) announced today it received a grant for $25,000 from Bayer Fund, a philanthropic arm of Bayer in the U.S., which will be used to inspire New Jersey’s students for careers in STEM through JA Crack the Code hands-on learning experiences, comprised of a series of free coding and STEM workshops. Workshops will take place virtually, in classrooms, at the JA Education Center, and other hosts driving student interest in STEM careers across New Jersey.

“We are grateful for receiving this generous contribution from Bayer Fund. Their continued investment will help us to prepare and motivate New Jersey youth for successful STEM careers. We look forward to continuing to inspire young people through our immersive STEM learning experiences.” said James Horne Jr., President & CEO of JANJ.

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are commonly grouped and known as STEM for short. Given that careers in these fields are in high demand, yet diversity remains a challenge, JANJ has a unique opportunity to make STEM learning and awareness into fun, interactive educational experiences through JA Crack the Code. This creative space for 8 - to -15-year-old students, encourages the discovery of careers in STEM, while learning from older peers and professionals with similar backgrounds. High School students serve as role models together with corporate volunteers and provide instruction and mentorship for hundreds of middle school-aged beginners and experienced coders alike. This high-impact initiative inspires a diverse talent pipeline for remarkable partners, like Bayer Fund.

Earlier this month, JA Program Manager and JA alumnus, Kayla Wong, led an interactive JA Coding session with Nutley Middle School, presented by Bayer Fund. These workshops give students hands-on experiences with computer science languages like HTML/CSS. Students identified key human-computer interaction elements of a website, while creating their own webpages.

Thanks to Bayer Fund, this grant provides life-changing opportunities for students across New Jersey and offers equitable access to ensure every child has a chance to succeed. The interactive reimagined workshop structure of JA Crack the Code designed for middle school students, keeps these young minds engaged, motivated, and inspired for their futures by connecting them to real-world, relevant experiences and volunteer role models.

“Throughout the years, the grants given through Bayer Fund have helped strengthen our communities across the United States,” said Al Mitchell, President of Bayer Fund. “We’re proud to be able to provide support to develop programs like JA of New Jersey, which has been critical in inspiring future generations for careers in the high-demand STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) field.”

In 2021, Bayer Fund awarded more than $13.1 million to over 3,400 charitable and nonprofit organizations to help address essential needs in Food and Nutrition, STEM Education and Health & Wellness. Over the last five years, nonprofit organizations across the U.S. have received more than $75 million.

To learn more about JA of New Jersey visit janj.org. 

To learn more about Bayer Fund visit https://www.fund.bayer.us.

About JA of New Jersey (JANJ):

JA of New Jersey (JANJ) is an award-winning, free educational resource JA operation dedicated to providing New Jersey’s youth with relevant experiential education in financial literacy, career readiness, entrepreneurship, and life skills. We imagine a world in which young people have the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities. With its headquarters and Capstone programs located in the JA Education Center, in Raritan Center, Edison, NJ, JANJ is committed to giving all young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success and plan for their futures. JANJ’s learning experiences are held at the JA Education Center, in schools, on college/university campuses, in corporate facilities, and online through digital learning experiences. For more information, visit janj.org and follow JANJ on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.

About Bayer Fund:

Bayer Fund, a philanthropic arm of Bayer, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the communities where Bayer customers and employees live and work by providing funding for food and nutrition, education, and community development projects.