3DE, JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT'S INNOVATIVE HIGH SCHOOL INSTRUCTIONAL MODEL, LAUNCHES IN CENTRAL IOWA THANKS TO A $250,000 DONATION FROM F&G

DES MOINES, Iowa – February 27, 2025 - Junior Achievement (JA) of Central Iowa has received a $250,000 contribution from F&G Annuities & Life, a leading provider of insurance solutions serving retail annuity and life customers and institutional clients based in Des Moines. The funds will support the launch of 3DE by Junior Achievement (3DE) to Central Iowa. Marshalltown High School will be the first school in the region to implement 3DE with an estimated cohort of 150 freshmen starting the program in August 2025. 

3DE is a high school instructional model that authentically connects high school education to the complexities of the real-world. In collaboration with corporate partners, the competency-based approach allows students from grades 9-12 to unlock and develop skills from creativity to critical thinking and problem-solving. These competencies are deepened through case studies in grades 9-11 culminating in a capstone experience senior year where students work as business consultants to real clients. Unlike some project-based learning taught in an elective course, 3DE can be scaled for all students and supports the standards being taught across all the core subjects.

Established in 2015, the 3DE model has been proven to decrease chronic absenteeism and increase a variety of student success metrics such as graduation rates, proficiency rates, and self-efficacy. School culture metrics such as sense of belonging and teacher engagement have also seen significant increases at 3DE schools.  

“We are proud to launch the first 3DE model in Central Iowa at Marshalltown High School and are grateful to F&G for helping to make it a reality for students,” said Ryan Osborn, President of Junior Achievement of Central Iowa. “This innovative instructional approach positions students with a transferrable skillset and mindset to be competitive in our rapidly changing economy, and we look forward to bringing this transformational model to other high schools in the area in the near future.”

F&G’s commitment will underwrite the launch-year cost of 3DE in Marshalltown. The costs include dedicated staffing at the school, training, curriculum design and development, teacher certification, business partner recruitment, among other services to ensure model fidelity and sustained excellence. 

“F&G’s mission is turning aspirations into reality, and that’s exactly what Junior Achievement’s 3DE does by providing students with these amazing real-world learning experiences,” said Amanda Wuest, Head of Human Resources at F&G. “Des Moines is a natural pipeline of talent, but often students aren’t aware of the opportunities that exist at F&G. 3DE will expose students to a variety of career paths such as insurance, and F&G is proud to help kickstart this program to inspire and guide future talent.”

Since 2021, F&G has supported Junior Achievement of Central Iowa through sponsorships and by volunteering at their experiential learning centers, JA BizTown and JA Finance Park.

3DE by Junior Achievement, founded in 2015, has been implemented across 60 high schools nationally. By fall 2025, there will be a total of four 3DE high schools in Iowa: Marshalltown High School partnering with JA of Central Iowa and three other schools partnering with Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa – Alburnett High School (launched in 2024), Prairie High School (launched in 2024) and Cedar Rapids Washington High School (launching in 2025). To learn more and for sponsorship opportunities, visit centraliowa.ja.org.  

ABOUT JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF CENTRAL IOWA  

Junior Achievement (JA) of Central Iowa believes in the boundless possibility for young people. Their mission is to empower young people with a skillset and mindset to build thriving communities. JA’s differentiators include expertise in experiential learning, real-world connections to education, and a deep understanding of skills needed for the future workforce. Through a robust partner network of businesses and school districts, JA of Central Iowa serves 40,000 students annually throughout a 52-county territory. JA of Central Iowa is a 501c3 non-profit, educational organization funded by corporate and community partners who want to empower the future. For more information, please visit www.jacentraliowa.org.  

ABOUT F&G

F&G Annuities & Life, Inc. is committed to helping Americans turn their aspirations into reality. F&G is a leading provider of insurance solutions serving retail annuity and life customers and institutional clients and is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. For more information, please visit fglife.com.   

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