Junior Achievement of Arizona - Teaching kids Biz
A nonprofit fundraiser supporting
Junior Achievement of ArizonaJunior Achievement teaches kids about entrepreneurship and personal finance. https://www.jaaz.org/
$350
raised by 5 people
$5,000 goal
Did you know that the majority of Arizona CEOs believe employees lack critical skills that are needed to succeed in the workplace? More than half of adults under 30 do not keep a personal budget, their average debt is over $45,000, and 12% of them don’t even have a job.
It’s our responsibility to empower future generations — to equip them with the skills and knowledge to be successful and pursue their dreams. These are our kids, grandchildren, our future colleagues and community leaders. The success of our economy depends on their preparedness.
With the support of thousands of education, business and volunteer partners, we are giving kids the tools to succeed. Our volunteer mentors from the community teach students about the importance of money management, workforce readiness and entrepreneurial thinking. Arming today’s youth with this critical education will result in less financial instability and debt, a better-trained workforce, a more robust economy and healthier families.
I participated in Junior Achievement as a young woman and had the opportunity to lead three companies and attend the National convention to represent my company that made phenomenal cheese slicer that I still have today.
JA’s unique program model places volunteers from the community into the classrooms where they teach our curriculum to students and share about their real world experiences. Our programs equip today’s students with critical financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship skills that will prepare them to succeed in work and life.
More than 80,000 students in Arizona, the majority of whom come from low-income backgrounds, receive JA programs each year, thanks to the 9,500 volunteer mentors who donate their time to empower our youth. Each of our programs is hands-on and age-appropriate for students kindergarten through high school.
Our classroom programs are inspiring the next generation to be financially capable and prepared to succeed in the work world. We partner with more than 370 schools and 4,000 volunteer mentors who give their time to teach students in the classroom about the importance of money management, work readiness and entrepreneurial thinking. Our expertly developed programs correlate to state and national standards, and help students connect what their learning in the classroom to the real world.
Connecting the dots between what kids learn in school and how it’s applied in the real world isn’t that simple. That’s why we created JA BizTown®, an engaging, hands-on program that introduces 4th, 5th, and 6th graders to economic concepts, workplace skills, and personal and business finances in a student-sized town built just for them.
Students first take part in a series of classroom lessons where they learn about working in and being consumers in today’s world. They work together to create business plans, calculate operating costs, design a marketing campaign, apply for jobs, vote for city officials, and explore careers. Then, they put their skills to work by becoming employees for a day in one of our two JA BizTowns, on-site learning facilities that feature more than 40 different businesses and industries.
During their time at JA BizTown, students operate a simulated economy and take on the challenge of running businesses. They get hands-on experience as both employees and consumers, paying rent, taxes and utilities, buying advertising from the radio station, conducting TV interviews, purchasing insurance, depositing paychecks and buying other business’ products, handling customer service, and more.
Our JA Finance Park® program invests in youth now so they can navigate the financial waters in the future. An experiential, real-life simulation, JA Finance Park first provides a series of lessons in the classroom to middle and high school students where they learn about all aspects of personal finance including learning about balancing a family budget, interest rates, how education affects their earning potential, and how saving today can affect their future.
Then, students come to our simulation learning facility to put their new knowledge into action. During this half-day experience, students assume randomly-assigned family and income scenarios and visit businesses to gather information for their personal financial decision-making. They utilize banking services, purchase housing, transportation, insurance, furnishings, health care, and other expenses, as well as make investment decisions.
Assisted by volunteer mentors, students work to balance their personal budget and learn to make choices that support their future goals. This hands-on experience lays a solid foundation for students’ future decision-making.