After participating in an International project supporting a Junior Achievement (JA) program in Guatemala, several members of the Denver/Lake Norman Rotary Club joined together to pursue bringing JA to Lincoln County.   The Lincoln County JA Board of Directors was formed in 2004, consisting primarily of Rotary Club members and Lincoln County School System staff, and began working with JA and the Lincoln County School System to bring a JA program into the local schools.

The Board decided to begin in the elementary schools with the third grade JA program.  The first sessions were done in the fall of 2005 in the third grade classes in eastern Lincoln County, with the majority of the classroom volunteers being members of the Rotary Club. 

The program was well received and, with the support of the Lincoln County School Board, it was decided to offer the program to all third grade classes in the Lincoln County School system.  Since the 2006/2007 school year, all third grade classes in the Lincoln County School System have been offered the JA Third Grade program, with nearly 1,000 students each year participating. 

The Denver/Lake Norman Rotary Club provides significant financial support annually for this JA program and members of the Club continue to participate as classroom volunteers.