GREAT NEWS! An anonymous donor has stepped up to help us reach our crowdfunding goal. From now until Feb. 1, the donor will match any gift, dollar for dollar, that comes in that moves us closer to reaching our goal. That will be doubling your donation for this wonderful cause!

Did you know 1 in 10 adults in Kansas does not have a high school diploma? Can you imagine navigating your way through current events without at least a twelfth-grade level education? Now try to imagine what it would be like if English was not your native language. 1 in 14 Kansans is an immigrant. Of that group nearly 1 in 4 do not speak English well, and 1 in 3 do not have a high school diploma. Throw the COVID-19 pandemic into this mix and is it any wonder the unemployment rate among these groups is significantly higher? At 9.8%, it's almost twice as high as the overall unemployment rate in Johnson County right now.

These statistics are more than numbers. They are the people we interact with every day: perhaps the person who took your order at the drive-thru, the person who helped bag your groceries, or the person who delivered that latest package from Amazon. These everyday people can be friends, neighbors, co-workers, maybe even family. JCAE is here to help them reach their educational goals. Every week, our dedicated staff and team of volunteers help students gain basic skills in reading, writing, math, and day-to-day survival. We help our students better themselves, to dream bigger dreams, set specific career and life goals, overcome obstacles, and adopt concrete plans to achieve success.

What we do at JCAE extends well beyond our classrooms. With the support of our instructors, Transition Coaches, staff, and volunteers, many of our students come to see JCAE as their first, crucial step in a long-term plan for personal growth, academic success, and attainment of career goals. Our students often go on to further career training, even college. They go on to find better, higher paying jobs. They go on to make a difference, just like you can.

By helping to support JCAE, you are changing lives for the better, helping everyday people transform their lives. You are helping our students make positive changes and contributions to our economy and our community. You are MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

Here's how your donations can help:

$25 pays for GED books for 1 student

$33 pays for 1 GED test for 1 student

$50 pays the materials fee for 1 student per semester

$70 pays for 1 English Connections or ESL students books for 1 semester

$132 pays for 1 student to take all four sections of the GED test

$120 pays for 1 English Connections or ESL students books for an entire year

$3,000 pays for 1 instructor to teach 1 semester

Right now, you can help JCAE leverage the transformative power of education and make a real difference in the lives of everyday people in our community. Donate today, and you will help these adult learners improve their lives. You will help our economy recover from the worst unemployment rates since the Great Depression. And, you will help move our community forward into a brighter future for everyday people like you.