Junior Achievement Of The Palm Beaches & Treasure Coast

OUR MISSION IS TO INSPIRE AND PREPARE YOUNG PEOPLE TO SUCCEED IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY THROUGH CLASSROOM PROGRAMS AND SIMULATIONS THAT FOCUS ON WORK READINESS, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND FINANCIAL LITERACY.

JA INSPIRE IS MORE THAN A CAREER FAIR: IT BRINGS TOGETHER THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND LOCAL SCHOOLS AND IS DESIGNED TO HELP LAUNCH MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS INTO THEIR FUTUREHIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE, AND CAREERS BEYOND. THE PROGRAM IS BOTH CLASSROOM- AND EVENT-BASED AND CONSISTS OF THREE SEGMENTS: (1) IN-CLASS SESSIONS PRESENTED BY THE CLASSROOM TEACHER; (2) THE HANDS-ON JA INSPIRE EXPO; AND (3) AN IN-CLASS DEBRIEF. DURING THE JA INSPIRE EXPO, STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES, OFTEN USING EQUIPMENT OR TOOLS USED ON A JOB. THE MULTI-HOUR EXPERIENCE IS CONFIGURABLE TO ALIGN WITH LOCAL INDUSTRY AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES. JA INSPIRE IS PART OF THE JA WORK AND CAREER READINESS PATHWAY AND IS INTENDED FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS (GRADES 6-8). JA PROGRAMS SUPPORT NATIONAL AND STATE STANDARDS IN READING, MATHEMATICS, SOCIAL STUDIES, AND WORK AND CAREER READINESS.JA INSPIRE PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN ABOUT DIFFERENT CAREER INDUSTRIES. NOT ALL STUDENTS RECEIVE CAREER MENTORSHIP AT HOME OR HAVE ACCESS TO ALL THE CAREER OPTIONS THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE TO THEM. THROUGH JA INSPIRE, STUDENTS GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT CAREERS FROM CARING MENTORS IN TIME TO PLAN THEIR HIGH SCHOOL COURSEWORK, HAVE A BETTER PATH TO SUCCESS, AND A PATHWAY TO PROSPERITY. FOR BUSINESSES, THIS IS THEIR CHANCE TO BUILD THEIR FUTURE WORKFORCE THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL AND HANDS-ON LEARNING.

JA HIGH SCHOOL HEROES RECRUITMENT STARTS WITH PAIRING HIGH SCHOOL CLASSES WITH FEEDER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. THE JA HIGH SCHOOL HEROES (AND TEACHERS!) ARE THEN TRAINED BY ONE OF OUR JA STAFF MEMBERS ON HOW TO IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAMS BY USING FUN AND EXCITING CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES. DURING THE TRAINING, JA STAFF MEMBERS WILL GO OVER CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES, ROLES/RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE VOLUNTEER, AND THE OBJECTIVES OF EACH PROGRAM SESSION. JA HIGH SCHOOL HEROES WILL THEN TRAVEL TO THE DESIGNATED SCHOOL OVER THE COURSE OF A FEW WEEKS TO TEACH THEIR PROGRAM AND IMPACT AND INSPIRE YOUNG STUDENTS. JA HIGH SCHOOL HEROES IS A PROGRAM THAT BENEFITS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS BY OFFERING A COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITY WHILE SERVING ELEMENTARY STUDENTS IN THEIR DISTRICT. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ALSO GAIN EXPERIENCE WITH TEAM BUILDING, PUBLIC SPEAKING, AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT.

IN JA CAREER SPEAKER SERIES, A VOLUNTEER GUEST SPEAKER VISITS THE CLASSROOM OR PARTICIPATES VIRTUALLY AND SHARES INFORMATION ABOUT HIS OR HER CAREER, WORK, AND EDUCATION EXPERIENCE. THE SPEAKER MAY BRING PROPS, WORK SAMPLES, OR OTHER VISUALS TO HELP ENGAGE STUDENTS. JA CAREER SPEAKER SERIES IS PART OF THE JA WORK AND CAREER READINESS PATHWAY AND CAN BE PLACED IN GRADES K-12. THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE IS AVAILABLE IN CLASSROOM BASED, REMOTE SYNCHRONOUS, RECORDED VIDEO, OR AFTER-SCHOOL/OUT-OF-SCHOOL IMPLEMENTATION. JA LEARNING EXPERIENCES SUPPORT NATIONAL AND STATE STANDARDS IN READING, MATHEMATICS, SOCIAL STUDIES, AND WORK AND CAREER READINESS. THE JA CAREER SPEAKER SERIES PROGRAM WAS UTILIZED BY SCHOOL COUNSELORS DURING THEIR CAREER EXPLORATION LESSONS WITH STUDENTS IN GRADES K-5. THESE LOCAL VIDEOS HELPED TO EXPOSE STUDENTS TO REAL CAREERS AVAILABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. 96% OF SCHOOL COUNSELORS AGREED THAT THESE VIDEOS ENHANCED THEIR LESSONS AND THEY WERE EAGER TO PARTICIPATE AGAIN EACH YEAR!

JA IN-CLASS PROGRAMS ARE EITHER TAUGHT OVER THE COURSE OF A FEW WEEKS, COMPLETED IN A ONE-DAY FORMAT, OR TAUGHT AFTER SCHOOL. TRAINED COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS PREPARE STUDENTS FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 12TH GRADE FOR THE REAL WORLD BY SHOWING THEM HOW TO GENERATE AND EFFECTIVELY MANAGE INCOME, CREATE JOBS TO BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY, AND APPLY ENTREPRENEURIAL THINKING TO THE WORKPLACE. THE WEEKLY AND AFTER SCHOOL JA IN-CLASS PROGRAM FORMAT CONSISTS OF FIVE TO EIGHT 45-MINUTE CLASSROOM VISITS. THE JA-IN-A-DAY PROGRAM ENABLES VOLUNTEERS TO PRESENT THE CURRICULUM IN ONE FIVE-HOUR DAY AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY FOR CORPORATE OR COMMUNITY GROUPS TO VOLUNTEER.JA LAUNCH LESSON RECRUITS ENTREPRENEURS AND BUSINESS OWNERS TO COMMIT ONE HOUR OF THEIR TIME TO SHARE THEIR STORIES AND OPEN THE EYES OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO THE OPPORTUNITIES OF CREATING THEIR OWN COMPANIES. ENTREPRENEURS AND BUSINESS OWNERS ARE PAIRED WITH A SCHOOL THAT WORKS BEST FOR THEIR SCHEDULES AND PROVIDES DISCUSSION GUIDELINES FOR SHAPING THEIR TALK AND ENGAGING WITH STUDENTS. THE EXPERIENCE OFFERS VOLUNTEERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH STUDENTS, PROVIDE RELEVANT INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR COMPANY AND ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNEY, AND SHARE ADVICE AND NEXT STEPS FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN STARTING THEIR OWN BUSINESSES.3DE IS AN INNOVATIVE INSTRUCTIONAL MODEL TO SYSTEMATICALLY RE-ENGINEER HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION TO EXPAND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL STUDENTS. THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO EXPOSE STUDENTS TO HANDS-ON, PROJECT-BASED LEARNING CHALLENGES PROVIDED BY LOCAL AND NATIONAL BUSINESS PARTNERS.JA USA 5 STAR AWARD WAS PRESENTED TO OUR AREA OFFICE FOR FY22. THE PURPOSE OF THE 5 STAR AWARD IS TO RECOGNIZE STAFF AND BOARDS OF JA AREAS THAT MEET JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT'S NATIONAL STANDARDS IN OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY AND THROUGH STRONG REPRESENTATION OF THE JA BRAND. RECIPIENTS MUST DEMONSTRATE GROWTH IN STUDENT IMPACT AND SUPERIOR FISCAL PERFORMANCE.