We are a growing number of volunteers, educators, parents, and contributors who reach out to tens of thousands of students each year in Western and Southwestern Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeastern Indiana.  Together, we believe there's a lot that's right with today's kids.  Kids crave opportunity.  Kids want to be successful.  And kids dream big about the future.  Really big.  We like that. 

How Does JA Help Kids?

Personal Responsibility

JA helps kids understand the connection between responsibility, hard work, perseverance and success. "The themes of personal responsibility and honest accountability are woven throughout JA's curricula."

Experimental

JA creates a learning laboratory within the classroom, using a hands-on, interactive learning approach. "We don't just tell kids about business and free enterprise, we show them and involve them."

Business Role Models

JA uses business and community leaders as classroom instructors to share with students their most valuable resource - their own personal experience."JA enables caring adults to show kids what it takes to be successful... after all, kids are out future."

Practical Finance

JA provides practical financial knowledge, skills and attitudes. "Our students benefit from the positive influences and experiences received beyond typical classroom lessons... they receive life changing lessons."

Hope for the Future

JA helps students envision themselves as successful in the world beyond the classroom. "JA prepares great workers, leaders, and citizens of tomorrow."

Why Do We Need JA?

Signs of a life-skills crisis are all around us: the high rate of personal bankruptcies; the lack of emphasis on saving and investing, the abuse of credit cards, the school drop-out rate, and the high rate of failure of small businesses.

According to recent studies, America's youth spend more than $140 billion annually, yet 60% cannot explain the difference between cash, checks and credit cards. Only 32% of parents/guardians regularly talk to their children about personal finance and money matters, as published in America's Money Skills Repott Card. J.G. Chambers writes in Preventing Risky Business in Eight Steps that 45% of small businesses fail within their first year - a failure rate partly attributable to the lack of business education in our schools.

JA provides students with the knowledge and practical skills they need to make better decisions - decisions that lead to a better future, where their dreams can become reality. The experience they gain through participation in JA provides a foundation for life-long success.