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Back to School Survey: Teens Believe Schools Do a Good Job Preparing Them for an AI Future, but Still Have Concerns About Job Prospects

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Junior Achievement and Ipsos Survey Also Shows Teens’ Prefer Learning in “Real-World” Situations

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., July 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A new Junior Achievement survey, with data collection by Ipsos, reveals that six in ten teens (61%) agree with the statement “my school is doing a good job of preparing me for a world being changed by Artificial Intelligence.”  Despite this, more than half of teens 13-17 (55%) agree with the statement “I am concerned about the impact AI will have on my ability to get a job in the future.” The survey of 1,005 teens aged 13 to 17 was conducted June 29 and 30 by Ipsos.

Despite these concerns, over two-thirds of American teens surveyed (68%) feel positively about the future, describing their feelings as either “optimistic” (34%) or “hopeful” (34%). In terms of how they are being taught, nearly nine in ten (87%) teens agree they learn best when they can apply learning to real-world situations.

“These results show that the potential impact of AI on their futures is top-of-mind for teens,” said Jack Harris, CEO of Junior Achievement USA. “While schools are doing the best they can to help prepare students with the durable skills, like critical thinking and problem-solving, needed to navigate an economy being shaped by AI, our research shows that education leaders are looking for partners to help students develop these skills. With Junior Achievement’s proven learning experiences based on real-world scenarios, we are helping schools and students do just that.”

Junior Achievement is the leader in experiential learning that helps students better understand what they have learned academically through real-world simulations. Junior Achievement does this through its extensive national network of experiential learning centers (Finance Park, BizTown, and Dream Accelerator), its case method approach which is strategically integrated with schools (3DE), as well as its traditional in-school and after-school experiences (JA Company Program, K-5 Suite, JA Stock Market Challenge).

A survey summary can be found here.

Survey Methodology:

These are findings of a Junior Achievement survey, with data collection provided by Ipsos, conducted between June 29-30, 2026.  For this survey, a nationally representative sample of 1,005 U.S. teens aged 13 to 17 were surveyed online in English. The results of this research have a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for all respondents.

About Ipsos

Ipsos is one of the largest market research and polling companies globally, operating in 90 markets and employing nearly 20,000 people. Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. Our 75 business solutions are based on primary data from our surveys, social media monitoring, and qualitative or observational techniques.

“Game Changers” – our tagline – summarizes our ambition to help our 5,000 clients navigate with confidence our rapidly changing world.

Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has been listed on the Euronext Paris since July 1, 1999. The company is part of the SBF 120, Mid-60 indices, and is eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD).

ISIN code FR0000073298, Reuters ISOS.PA, Bloomberg IPS:FP

www.ipsos.com

35 rue du Val de Marne
75 628 Paris, Cedex 13 France
Tel. +33 1 41 98 90 00

About Junior Achievement USA

Junior Achievement is education for what’s next. As a strategic partner working in collaboration with educators, employers, investors, leaders, and the communities they serve, we are dedicated to helping students achieve academically today and economically tomorrow. As a leader in experiential learning operating on a national scale with over a century of experience, we are driving toward lasting change. This means ensuring a generation of students has the transferable skills and competencies needed to navigate a rapidly changing world. By delivering career-connected learning, we are invested in accelerating economic mobility through education. By helping students become confident, capable, and connected today, we can ensure they have access to opportunity-filled futures tomorrow. Junior Achievement reaches more than 4.8 million students annually across nearly 100 U.S. markets, and is part of JA Worldwide, which serves over 19.9 million students in more than 100 countries. Learn more at www.ja.org.  

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/back-to-school-survey-teens-believe-schools-do-a-good-job-preparing-them-for-an-ai-future-but-still-have-concerns-about-job-prospects-302837226.html

SOURCE Junior Achievement USA

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Fundraise Up Launches Tap to Donate and Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

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July 29, 2026

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Two new products extend Fundraise Up’s conversion-optimized technology beyond the donation page — into events, in-person moments, and supporter-led campaigns.

BROOKLYN, N.Y., July 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Fundraise Up today announced Tap to Donate and Peer-to-Peer Fundraising, now in early access, extending the same checkout technology that has driven an average 30% lift in conversion for nonprofits that switched to Fundraise Up. Both products run on the payments infrastructure, compliance layer, and donor record already trusted by nonprofits including UNICEF USA and the Canadian Red Cross — the same unified donor record that lets a gift made at a gala, through a friend’s fundraising page, or online all update one profile, instead of three disconnected systems.

“The future of fundraising isn’t confined to a donation page. It lives wherever people are inspired to give. These new products extend the same donor-first design and conversion expertise that powers our online giving experience into every one of those moments.” 
— Peter Byrnes, CEO and Co-founder, Fundraise Up

Tap to Donate

In-person giving has long been the weakest link in the donor experience — proprietary card readers and manual reconciliation that leaves gifts unmatched to campaigns for weeks and months. Tap to Donate lets any staff member or volunteer accept a gift on a phone or iPad at a gala, walkathon, or luncheon. Every gift posts instantly to the donor’s existing record. It’s included in the Fundraise Up platform at no additional cost. In its first month, early-access nonprofits using Tap to Donate saw average gift sizes rise 24% compared to the tools they used previously for in-person giving.

“We’ve missed so many opportunities when someone says, ‘I love what you do. I want to support you,’ and all we could say was, ‘Go to our website.’ With Tap to Donate, we can now say, ‘You can do it right now’.”
 — Teresa Harland, Senior Vice President, Advancement, Our Rescue

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

The vast majority of registered peer-to-peer fundraisers never raise anything beyond their own registration fee — an industry problem long known as the “zero-dollar fundraiser.” Fundraise Up’s Peer-to-Peer product, now available in early access, pairs an AI coach — which helps supporters write their story, track progress, and know their next milestone — with the same checkout and donor portal already proven to convert and retain more donors. In early access, nonprofits using Fundraise Up’s platform saw the share of fundraisers raising at least one gift nearly doubled.

“Nonprofits thrive when they empower supporters to connect with and inspire their own networks. Peer-to-Peer is a fresh, AI-powered approach that takes the fear out of fundraising, making it easier for anyone to become an effective fundraiser.” 
— Brandon Nott, Chief Product Officer, Fundraise Up

Nonprofits can sign up for Tap to Donate and Peer-to-Peer Fundraising at fundraiseup.com/[early-access-link].

About Fundraise Up

Fundraise Up exists to unlock the world’s generosity. Founded in 2017, Fundraise Up is the AI-powered fundraising platform helping leading nonprofits create better donor experiences and raise more for their mission. Combining industry-leading conversion optimization with intelligent automation, Fundraise Up enables organizations to maximize every giving opportunity while reducing operational complexity. Backed by Telescope Partners and Summit Partners, nonprofit organizations including The Salvation Army UK, USO and American Diabetes Association use Fundraise Up to turn more supporters into donors and more donors into lifelong advocates. Learn more at fundraiseup.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fundraise-up-launches-tap-to-donate-and-peer-to-peer-fundraising-302837994.html

SOURCE Fundraise Up

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Awardy Launches Platform That Turns Verified Customer Reviews Into Real, Local Business Awards

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19 minutes ago

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July 29, 2026

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A 60-second scan tells any U.S. business if its Google, Yelp, Trustpilot and TripAdvisor reviews have already earned it a 2026 award

NEW YORK, July 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Awardy.US today launched nationally, giving any U.S. business a 60-second way to find out whether its existing customer reviews have already earned it a formal award.

Awardy is the public-facing arm of the Consumer Ratings Institute (CRI), headquartered at One World Trade Center, New York.

Awardy’s engine crawls a business’s verified public reviews across Google Business, Yelp, Trustpilot and TripAdvisor, then scores it against the 826,000+ U.S. businesses already indexed in the CRI registry. Businesses clearing the minimum threshold — 10+ verified reviews and a 4.4★ average — qualify for a 2026 Business Excellence Insignia. Other businesses that have more reviews and higher average scores will unlock options to receive a special business title. Those that don’t quite reach those heights, will receive a no-cost playbook to improve.

The model is a deliberate departure from an awards industry built largely on entry fees and judging panels. Awardy has neither. Recognition through Awardy is always free to earn, and qualification is determined entirely by customers who have already left reviews.

“My favorite restaurant in town had been steady but quiet. Then they got nominated for an award — and the local news picked it up — the next night I couldn’t get a table” said Brad Christian of Awardy.US and owner of BlackOak Mountain Vineyards in Cool, California. “Recognition changes how customers decide. It shortens the debate, kills objections and gets you more yeses.”

Awards built to be used, not shelved

Where Awardy departs furthest from the trophy business is what happens after a business qualifies. The digital Insignia, the CRI Registry listing and the amplification playbook are all free to any business that qualifies — everything a winner needs to put the recognition to work.

Winners who want amplification of the win handled for them can upgrade to a done-for-you amplification package: distribution of a local press release, and the licensed right to market as “award-winning” across social media, advertising and sales material. Physical plaques and trophies are also available to order, but payment plays no part in qualification — a business either clears the threshold on its verified reviews or it doesn’t. 

Businesses can run a free scan at https://awardy.us.

About Awardy.US

Awardy.US is the public-facing arm of the Consumer Ratings Institute, One World Trade Center, New York. Awardy turns verified customer reputation into earned recognition, helping best-in-class businesses get the awards they deserve — without submissions, committees, high entry fees, or waiting years to be found.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/awardy-launches-platform-that-turns-verified-customer-reviews-into-real-local-business-awards-302837464.html

SOURCE Awardy

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Technology

Historic Exhibit Supply Company (ESCO) Brand Trading Cards Returns, Reviving a 125-Year-Old Collectibles Icon

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19 minutes ago

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July 29, 2026

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The Legendary Brand Begins a New Chapter with Premium Music and Pop Culture Trading Cards

NEW YORK, July 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Exhibit Supply Company (ESCO), the legendary trading card brand founded in 1901 and credited with helping invent the modern trading card, officially returns today, ushering one of the hobby’s most historic names into a new era.

Originally based in Chicago, the Exhibit Supply Company brand was considered one of the earliest producers of collectible picture cards featuring entertainers, athletes and cultural icons, including Charlie Chaplin, Babe Ruth, Marilyn Monroe, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. ESCO was also the first company to release trading cards independently of other consumer products such as tobacco or gum, helping define the category as it exists today.

More than 125 years after its founding, the iconic ESCO brand returns for a new era, with a renewed focus on premium music and pop culture collectibles. Honoring its rich heritage while embracing the future of collecting, the ESCO Trading Cards brand will feature innovative products celebrating the world’s most influential artists and cultural icons.

Beginning in 2026, ESCO Trading Cards will find themselves distributed into mass retail and specialty hobby stores. The brand will introduce premium boxed collections featuring some of the world’s biggest music artists, including authentic autographs and relic cards containing stage-worn items, continuing ESCO’s legacy of innovation while setting a new standard for music and pop culture collectibles.

“The Exhibit Supply Company brand helped shape the history of trading cards more than a century ago, and we’re honored to build on that legacy for today’s generation of collectors,” said Robert Thomsen, CEO of ESCO Trading Cards. “Music and pop culture deserve a dedicated home in the hobby, and the ESCO moniker gives us the opportunity to create premium collectibles that honor artists, resonate with fans and continue pushing the category forward.”

With its return, ESCO Trading Cards stands as the only premium trading card brand dedicated exclusively to music and pop culture, bridging more than a century of collecting history with the future of the hobby.

For more information, visit: escotradingcards.com and follow @escotradingcards on Instagram and TikTok and @escotrdingcards on X .

ABOUT ESCO

Exhibit Supply Company (ESCO), is the legendary collectibles brand founded in 1901 and credited with helping invent the modern trading card. Exhibit Supply Company was among the earliest producers of collectible picture cards featuring entertainers, athletes and cultural icons, including Charlie Chaplin, Babe Ruth, Marilyn Monroe, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones as well as the first company to release trading cards independently of other consumer products such as tobacco or gum. ESCO Trading Cards stands as the only premium trading card brand dedicated exclusively to music and pop culture, bridging more than a century of collecting history with the future of the hobby.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/historic-exhibit-supply-company-esco-brand-trading-cards-returns-reviving-a-125-year-old-collectibles-icon-302837944.html

SOURCE ESCO

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