BOSTON, Oct. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Junior Achievement (JA) Worldwide and HP today announced a global partnership that unites years of successful collaboration around the world. Spanning 37 countries, the expanded collaboration aims to advance digital skills, AI education, workforce readiness, entrepreneurship, and intergenerational learning for young people and educators.
The partnership combines HP's technology, skills training and expertise of its employees with JA's global reach, deep local relationships, and more than a century of experience in experiential education. JA locations, embedded in communities worldwide, can adapt each learning experience to the language, culture, education system, and local economic priorities, while a global framework establishes shared standards for educational quality, volunteer engagement, impact measurement, and storytelling.
"JA and HP have built extraordinary programs in communities around the world, each responding to local opportunities and grounded in a shared belief in young people's potential," said Leo Martellotto, JA Worldwide's Chief Development Officer. "A global framework now unites those efforts, allowing effective ideas to travel, opening more pathways for HP employees to share their expertise, and extending high-quality learning to young people at remarkable scale. Together, we're helping young people develop the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities."
During the first year of the collaboration, JA and HP expect to engage more than 850,000 young people and educators through locally tailored hands-on learning experiences that HP employees strengthen by contributing their expertise as mentors, speakers, subject-matter experts, and judges.
"Access to technology is important, but its real value emerges when people have the confidence and skills to use it in meaningful ways," said Michele Malejki, Global Head of Social Impact at HP Inc. and Executive Director of the HP Foundation. "At HP, we bring technology, learning experiences and the expertise of our people to help young people explore new ideas, solve real-world challenges and prepare for a changing world of work. Through JA's deep local relationships, those opportunities can reach more young people in ways that are relevant to their communities."
Opening a Global Conversation at UNGA
During the recent United Nations General Assembly in New York City, a JA Worldwide, JA of New York and HP-hosted discussion introduced young people entering the workforce to senior corporate leaders. The session, "Beyond Mentorship: Learning Across Generations," examined how changing expectations around technology, leadership, learning, purpose, and flexibility are reshaping the workplace, approaching intergenerational exchange as a source of mutual learning. Their exchange reflected a central principle of the JA-HP partnership: Every generation possesses knowledge the others need. When young people and experienced leaders engage one another as thoughtful peers, they challenge assumptions, expand possibilities, and shape stronger workplaces together.
From UNGA to NAUFest
From the global stage in New York, the partnership now advances across the Americas through NAUFest, JA Americas' regional educational experience connecting young people through online and in-person events in more than 30 cities.
At the center of NAUFest, the HP-supported AIForImpact Challenge invites young people to identify a challenge in their communities and develop an AI-powered solution, moving participants from understanding to application. Participants follow a structured learning journey available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, combining short educational videos, guided activities, a live masterclass, mentorship, and a showcase in which to present their ideas.
Young people examine how AI is transforming entrepreneurship, use AI tools to conduct market research and develop prototypes, consider the ethical dimensions of AI-assisted decision-making, and apply their learning to a challenge that matters where they live. HP employees contribute throughout the experience as content experts, mentors, speakers, and regional judges.
Global Reach; Local Relevance
Over the coming year, the partnership will take shape across the following regions and countries:
- Africa: Nigeria and South Africa
- Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, México, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, and Venezuela
- Asia Pacific: China, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia
- Europe: Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom
- Middle East and North Africa: Egypt, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia
Across these regions, the portfolio includes AI and digital-literacy education; entrepreneurship experiences through which students create and manage companies; career exploration and work-readiness learning; digital safety and citizenship; professional development for educators; and direct engagement with HP employees.
A coordinated global approach also strengthens impact measurement, peer learning, communications, and the collection of stories that reveal how young people apply their burgeoning skills. Through the JA Institute-JA Worldwide's center for research, insights, and thought leadership-HP and JA will draw broader lessons from the partnership and contribute fresh perspectives to global conversations about education, technology, youth agency, and the future of work.
"What excites me most about this partnership is its multiplier effect," said Asheesh Advani, JA Worldwide's CEO. "Young people across 37 countries gain the digital fluency, entrepreneurial thinking, and workforce readiness to pursue opportunity and grow into capable, fulfilled leaders, while educators develop new skills and teaching practices they can carry forward to many more learners. Together, JA and HP are cultivating future-ready talent at global scale and strengthening an education ecosystem that can expand opportunity for years to come."
About JA Worldwide
As one of the world's largest and most impactful youth-serving NGOs, JA provides hands-on, immersive learning in entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial capability.
Delivering more than 23 million learning experiences each year through 750,000+ teachers and business volunteers, JA Worldwide is one of few organizations with the scale, experience, and passion to build a brighter future for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders. Operating in 120+ countries, JA equips young people with the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities. Learn more at jaworldwide.org.
About HP Inc.
HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) is a global technology leader redefining the Future of Work. Operating in more than 180 countries, HP delivers innovative and AI-powered devices, software, services, and subscriptions that drive business growth and professional fulfillment. For more information, visit HP.com.
Contact Tere Stouffer Chief Marketing Officer JA Worldwide +1-212-641-0747 tere.stouffer@jaworldwide.org
