Rick Melmer

Part of JA Worldwide, Inc., Junior Achievement of South Dakota, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering K-12 students across South Dakota with experiential, hands-on educational programs in financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and work readiness. The company is based in Sioux Falls, SD. The organization serves approximately 55,000 students annually through the support of over 2,000 volunteers, offering grade-level tailored programs such as JA Ourselves®, JA BizTown®, JA Economics for Success®, and JA Personal Finance®, delivered via classroom, virtual, after-school, and experiential learning formats. These programs align with national and state educational standards and are designed to connect classroom learning to real-life skills, fostering students’ confidence, economic mobility, and career readiness. The organization engages community volunteers, educators, parents, and business partners to deliver and support its programs, providing training and resources to enhance educational impact. JA emphasizes transparency and accountability through accessible financial and impact reports and values diversity, integrity, and principled market-based economics.