JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF NORTHERN INDIANA
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Mission Statement
Junior Achievement (JA) inspires and prepares young people to succeed in the global economy.
About This Cause
At JA of Northern Indiana (JANI), we have been preparing area youth to become productive members of society and succeed in the global economy since 1953. JA programs in the core content areas of work & career readiness, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship empower young men and women to build better futures for themselves and their communities. Most of the students we serve participate in our in-school programs, which are carefully tailored to match the ability levels of students at each grade level. These programs include a variety of engaging hands-on activities, games, and digital learning opportunities. In-school programs are typically delivered in prekindergarten through high school classrooms over the course of several weeks by community volunteers. These dedicated individuals are the backbone of our organization, building relationships with students and helping JA lessons come to life. We also offer two capstone programs, JA BizTown and JA Finance Park, which begin with teacher-taught classroom lessons and culminate in visits to our exciting capstone facilities. At JA BizTown, 5th- and 6th-grade students spend the day in a life-like, student-sized town with a wide variety of businesses and organizations (e.g., a restaurant, a bank, and a healthcare center). Students learn valuable life skills firsthand as they become both workers and consumers for the day. At JA Finance Park, middle and high school students use engaging iPad technology to make important personal financial decisions (e.g., food, housing, insurance) while maintaining a balanced budget. We are thrilled to now offer an entry-level experience (where students are assigned an adult "identity," complete with a family, a job, and an income) and an advanced-level experience (where students choose their identity and have the opportunity to complete four budgets: as a teenager, a young adult, a working adult, and an adult nearing retirement). The advanced experience allows students to take a deeper dive into budgeting by exploring the nuances of personal finance at various life stages. In recent years, we have also launched several new learning opportunities to complement our traditional JA programming: - Our interactive JA JobSpark career expo and its virtual complement, JA JobSpark Virtual, are "sparking" students' interests, getting them excited about area careers, and transforming their abstract ideas about work into tangible ambitions and plans. - Through our one-week, locally developed JA Entrepreneurial Summer Camp, middle school youth participate in a wide variety of activities focused on the exploration of entrepreneurial traits (e.g., hands-on design challenges, tours of local businesses). - At our one-day JA Young Entrepreneur Marketplace event, we give young entrepreneurs the opportunity to sell their products or services to the public at the Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana Farmers Market. - With the 3DE by Junior Achievement educational model, we are partnering with Fort Wayne Community Schools (FWCS) to transform the educational experience for high school students. 3DE utilizes in-depth, experiential business case studies that are exciting, engaging, and authentically connected to the complexities of the world beyond the classroom walls. - We are launching a JA Connect Credentialing Platform. With JA Connect, students advance through various career-readiness focused learning opportunities; complete interactive assessments; and earn individual competency badges. Our digital platform guides and tracks students as they progressively master key competencies and work toward a culminating certificate. - JA Here to Career is a new online resource that helps prepare today's young people for tomorrow's jobs by connecting them with regional career opportunities that match their individual personality, skills, and interests. It also provides them with the information they need to map a path to future success. Each year, we deliver nearly 183,000 JA experiences to students across our 29-county service area. Of the 102 JA offices across the nation, we serve the second largest number of students and have the second greatest market share! Our impact is evident: 93% of students who participate in our programs recognize the importance of budgeting and financial planning, 97% feel more confident in their ability to be successful future employees, and 81% would consider entrepreneurship as a career option. These outcomes highlight the profound difference we are making. Thanks to our pioneering spirit, exceptional student reach, and remarkable impact, right here in northern Indiana, we are not just leading the way—we are setting the gold standard for JA offices nationwide.