Programs

Expanding potential

Each year, we bring JA programs to hundreds of schools, encouraging tens of thousands of youth to expand their potential, engage in their own economic development, and contribute to the strength of their community through programs that focus on entrepreneurship, financial literacy and work readiness.

JA Programs are FREE of charge to students, teachers and schools across southern Alberta.

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Economics for Success SAIT (April 29-May 3, 2024)

For many students, the transition from high school to post-secondary education or employment can be overwhelming. Students often feel that their high-school experiences haven’t adequately prepared them to meet the demands of university, a career, or living on their own.

In Economics for Success, students take a closer look at the advantages of staying in school, as well as learn what’s needed to succeed in today's workforce. Volunteers from the local business community partner with classroom teachers to help students see the link between education and achieving their goals.

The program will be held at SAIT from April 29 – May 3, allowing students the opportunity to prepare for life after high school while at a post-secondary campus. Schools can register for their preferred date during that week by clicking the button below!

Support opportunities are also available. Please email to learn more.

RoboGarden: Learn to Code

RoboGarden: Learn to Code

Junior Achievement's new RoboGarden program provides educators with a fun and easy way for students to learn to code. RoboGarden is an easy to understand, hands-on educational app where studentstake part in active learning. Fully equipped to teach coding literacy from scratch, RoboGarden reduces the need for a tech-savvy teacher.

Through JA Southern Alberta's pilot program: Learn to Code with RoboGarden, students in grades 1-8 will get the tools they need to develop computational, critical and problem-solving skills. Students will learn different coding concepts, STEAM subjects and good morals through a game based environment that will help the students enjoy their education while learning to become the next coding genius.

Region
Calgary & Area

Grade
Grades K-6

Commitment
1 hour/week
Teacher Led

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RoboGarden: Learn to Code for Grades 7-9

RoboGarden: Learn to Code for Grades 7-9

Junior Achievement's new RoboGarden program provides educators with a fun and easy way for students to learn to code. RoboGarden is an easy to understand, hands-on educational app where students take part in active learning. Fully equipped to teach coding literacy from scratch, RoboGarden reduces the need for a tech-savvy teacher.

Today apps on mobile devices are the most exciting, engaging ways for young learners to interact with the digital world and be inspired to contribute their own creativity and problem-solving abilities to the online universe. JA Southern Alberta's RoboGarden program provides students access to an easy-to-use app builder where learners get the opportunity to write their own app using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, which the RoboGarden engine then wraps into a shareable mobile app. RoboGarden’s App Builder helps stimulate students’ creativity while also building key digital skills.

Region
Calgary & Area

Grade
Grades 7-9

Commitment
1 hour/week
Teacher Led

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Ourselves

Ourselves

JA Ourselves uses storybook characters in read-aloud and hands-on activities to introduce the role people play in an economy.

Through engaging activities, young students learn about individual choices, money, the importance of saving and giving, and the value of work. The program also provides an introduction to Canadian coins and bills.

Region
Calgary & Area

Grade
Kindergarten

Commitment
3 hours
Teacher Led

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Our Families

Our Families

JA Our Families explains how family members' jobs and businesses contribute to the well-being of the family and of the community.

The learning experience introduces the concept of needs and wants and explores the ways families plan for and acquire goods and services. Students analyze their own skills to determine ways they can support their families. The program also familiarizes students with Canadian coins and bills, while providing a brief introduction to key personal finance tools such as credit and debit cards.

Region
Calgary & Area

Grade
Grade 1

Commitment
3 Hours
Teacher Led

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Our Community

Our Community

Many Canadian youth leave their communities, or the country, to look for work because they don’t realize the opportunities they have to succeed at home.

Our Community – Needs, Jobs, Tools gives elementary school students the building blocks for a successful career – right here at home! The program shows students how business shapes our lives and strengthens society.

By the end of this program, students will learn about their own potential and how they can contribute to Canada’s prosperity. This prepares students for careers in business and inspires them to make a positive impact in their communities.

Region
Calgary & Area

Grade
Grade 2

Commitment
3 Hours
Teacher Led

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Our Country

Our Country

Technological innovation is key to driving Canada’s economy. However, students don’t have enough opportunities to innovate and think creatively.

In JA’s Our Country - Technology and Innovation, elementary school students develop innovative, new ideas for business and society. They learn about Canada’s technological past and present, as well as share ideas that could become our next great innovation. Students will also learn good money habits through an introduction to responsible spending and saving, including the importance of saving for short-term and long-term goals.

Region
Calgary & Area

Grade
Grade 3

Commitment
3 Hours
Teacher Led

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More Than Money

More Than Money

The earlier students learn how to manage money, the greater their chances of lifelong financial success.

According to a study by the JumpStart Coalition for Financial Literacy, only 26% of 13-21-year-olds said their parents taught them how to manage money. This gap is not being addressed by schools, as many don’t have the resources to offer classes in financial literacy.

JA has designed the More than Money program to address this challenge. With the assistance of volunteers from the local business community, the program teaches elementary students about earning, spending, sharing, and saving money.

Region
All Regions

Grade
Grade 4

Commitment
4 Hours
(1 morning)

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Our Business World

Our Business World

Students are often taught that success means "getting a good job" after graduation. Many are not aware that launching a business is a viable career option that can bring them amazing opportunities.

However, starting a business is not a career option that most children are encouraged to consider. In JA’s Our Business World program, elementary students explore how businesses are created and what makes them thrive. Using games and multimedia, students learn about innovation, start-ups and self-employment.

Region
All Regions

Grade
Calgary & Area:
Grade 5

Other Regions:
Grades 5-6

Commitment
Calgary & Area:
4 Hours
(1 morning)

Other Regions:
2, 2-hr sessions or
4, 1-hr sessions

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A Business Of Our Own

A Business Of Our Own

Entrepreneurs drive the Canadian economy, strengthen communities and create jobs. However, children are often not encouraged to become entrepreneurs.

In JA's newly updated A Business of Our Own program, students put on entrepreneurial hats and run their own retail business. Students learn how to start a business, produce and promote their products, track their finances and manage a team. Volunteers from the local business community use experiential blended learning and game-based technology to engage students and ignite their passion for business. In addition to in-class lessons, budding entrepreneurs are now able to continue learning at home through JA’s online business simulation.

Region
Calgary & Area
East Central
Foothills
Lethbridge
Medicine Hat

Grade
Grade 6

Commitment
4 Hours
(1 morning)

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Dollars With Sense

Dollars With Sense

Canadian personal debt is at a record high. Canadian youth are growing up in a time in which spending is easier than ever and debt is a way of life. This problem is exacerbated by hectic family schedules, which leave parents with little time to teach their children about money management.

How can we prepare today’s youth to avoid personal debt?

Through the newly updated Dollars With Sense program, students get the vital tools they need to make smart financial decisions, live debt-free and become savvy investors. Students learn personal money management skills that they can apply to their lives… beginning now.

Region
All Regions

Grade
Calgary & Area : Grade 7
Other Regions: Grades 7 – 8

Commitment
4 Hours
(1 morning)

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Stronger Together: Diversity In Action

Stronger Together: Diversity In Action

In today’s global economy, individuals from many different backgrounds work together to achieve common goals. Stronger Together: Diversity in Action is an exciting program from JA that teaches students the value of diversity and how it contributes to improving morale, creativity, teamwork and productivity.

Volunteers from the local business community help students understand how inclusivity can solve real-world challenges. They also encourage students to welcome perspectives that are different from their own.

Region
Calgary & Area
East Central
Lethbridge

Grade
Grade 8

Commitment
4 Hours
(1 morning)

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Be Entrepreneurial

Be Entrepreneurial

In this challenging job market, entrepreneurs are the key to job growth. Many Canadian youth have the passion to launch their own businesses to create jobs for themselves and others. However, the skills that young people need to run businesses aren’t taught in most schools.

JA's Be Entrepreneurial program inspires grade 10-12 students to imagine a business venture while still in school. Volunteers from the local business community partner with classroom teachers to ignite students' entrepreneurial spirit and help them create business plans.

Region
Calgary & Area
Lethbridge

Grade
Grades 10-12

Commitment
1 hour
(1 class period)

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Personal Finance

Personal Finance

Canadian youth are growing up in a time in which spending is easier than ever and debt is a way of life.

This problem is exacerbated by hectic family schedules, which leave parents with little time to teach their children about money management. Limited resources in schools mean that they are also not able to teach students critical financial skills that will keep them out of debt and help them succeed in life. 

Personal Finance is JA's new financial literacy program for Grade 9-12 students. The program teaches students personal money management skills including the key elements of personal finance such as spending wisely, budgeting, saving, investing and using credit. 

Region
Calgary & Area

Grade
Grades 9-12

Commitment
1 hour
(1 class period)

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Economics For Success

Economics For Success

For many students, the transition from high school to post-secondary education or employment can be overwhelming. Students often feel that their high-school experiences haven’t adequately prepared them to meet the demands of university, a career, or living on their own.

In Economics for Success, students take a closer look at the advantages of staying in school, as well as learn what’s needed to succeed in today's workforce. Volunteers from the local business community partner with classroom teachers to help students see the link between education and achieving their goals. A third-party study found that over 65% of past Achievers credit JA with their decision to stay in school and enroll in post-secondary education, 75% believe JA had a significant impact on their financial-literacy, decision-making skills, and business sense.

Region
All Regions

Grade
Grade 9

Commitment
4 Hours
(1 morning)

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Investment Strategies

Investment Strategies

The earlier youth learn financial literacy, the more likely they are to invest and save later in life. Recent U.S. research has found that people who have had financial education participate more often in retirement programs, make larger contributions and have a much higher savings rate than others.

JA's Investment Strategies program (ISP) teaches students how to save and invest for the future. The program includes both interactive classroom lessons and an online stock market simulation, Invest JA, where students manage their own simulated stock portfolio. The simulation is linked to live data from North American stock markets and is an exciting, risk-free way for students to apply the investing principles they learn in the program.

Region
All Regions

Grade
Calgary & Area:
Grade 8-12

Other Regions:
Grades 8-11

Commitment
4, 1-hour lessons
+ online competition

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World of Choices

World of Choices

It's not often we get the chance to sit down with someone in the profession we dream of getting into. How might your life change if you could?

World of Choices will bring students together with Career Mentors in their desired fields and give them the opportunity to talk with others in professions they’d never considered before. Five sessions, small tables, an afternoon that will open a world of choices to Alberta's youth.

Region
All Regions

Grade
Grades 10-12

Commitment
1 Day

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Indigenous Business Program

Indigenous Business Program

The Indigenous Business Program offers students the opportunity to make real business decisions, develop leadership skills, make new friends and have fun! The Business Program has proven to improve employability, workforce readiness and awareness of new career opportunities.

This program is a offered in two formats: Business Program: In-School and Business Program: After-School.

Region
Indigenous

Grade
Grades 10-12

Commitment
14-18 weeks
2-3 hours per week

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Company Program: In School

Company Program: In School

Company Program offers students the opportunity to make real business decisions, develop leadership skills, make new friends and have fun! Company program has proven to improve employability, workforce readiness and awareness of new career opportunities. In this hands-on program, students learn the risks and rewards of starting a business and how to build positive relationships with the community.

Over a four-month period, JA’s Company Program teaches grade 9-12 students how to organize and operate a real business. Volunteers from the local business community work with students to launch and run a small enterprise. This gives students the real-world skills and experience that they need to achieve their dreams of becoming entrepreneurs.

Region
Calgary & Area
Foothills
Lethbridge

Grade
Grades 10-12

Committment
18 weeks
1 class per week

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Company Program: After School

Company Program: After School

Company Program is an exciting hands-on program that allows students to experience the risks and rewards of entrepreneurship by starting and operating an after-school business. The program is 18 weeks long and free of charge.

Region
All Southern Alberta Regions

Grade
Grades 9-12

Committment
18 weeks
1 class per week

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