JA Company Program®
Program Overview
The JA Company Program Blended Model unlocks the innate ability in students to solve a problem or fill a need in their community through an entrepreneurial spirit.
The program is available for both in-school or after-school implementation, and may be completed during one-semester or throughout an entire school year. Two implementation options are available: 13 two-hour meetings or 26 one-hour meetings focused on the Company Ops.
- Company Ops is that portion of the meeting during which students build and manage their business. This usually will take the majority of the meeting time.
- Deeper Dives are optional activities or suggestions on how to extend the meeting topic. Students work individually or in groups.
Program Basics
- Includes a series of 13 two-hour meetings or 26 one-hour meetings recommended for high school students.
- Program delivered online to students through the JA Learning Platform.
- Introduces students to the key elements involved in organizing and operating a business, while empowering them to solve problems and address local needs through the entrepreneurial spirit.
- Meeting-specific, student-friendly materials and resources are presented to increase student interaction and emphasize JA's experiential approach to learning.
- Correlates well to state social studies, English, and math standards, as well as the Common Core State Standards in English/language arts and mathematics.
Junior Achievement USA gratefully acknowledges The Hartford for its dedication to the development and implementation of JA Company Program.
| Pillars of Student Success | Entrepreneurship: | Financial-Literacy: | Work-Readiness: |
|---|
| Program Implementation | Program Grade-Level |
|---|---|
| Classroom-Based | High School |
| Program Concepts | Program Skills |
|---|---|
| Annual report, Business plan, Capitalization, Company structure, Entrepreneurial facts, myths, and traits, Financial tools, Launch the company, Leadership, Liquidate, Marketing, Personal action plan, Pitch, Product development process, Product and service evaluation, Quality control, Sales techniques, Supply chain, SWOT analysis | Accountability, Creativity, Critical thinking, Collaboration, Decision making, Idea development, Leadership, Product evaluation, Public speaking, Sales, Self-assessment, Synthesizing and evaluating information, Teamwork |
Program Sessions
Meeting One: Start a Business
Students examine their own entrepreneurial traits, how those traits fit within the Company structure, and explore potential ways to fund their venture.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
- Identify what they will be doing in JA Company Program.
- Share important information about prior knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes.
- Build relationships with others in their group.
- Determine entrepreneurial traits and choose a business team.
- Explore potential ways to fund their venture.
Meeting Two: Fill a Need
Students brainstorm potential products and services that could fill a need or solve a problem and determine which business ideas should be vetted further.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
- Collaborate as a group to decide on the product or service that the Company will sell.
- Narrow the list of potential business ideas by answering critical questions about each one.
Meeting Three: Vet the Venture
Students conduct research on their top product or service ideas and decide on which idea to move forward with based on a series of factors.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
- Conduct research on top business ideas.
- Decide which product or service idea to move forward with.
- Submit the product or service idea for approval.
Meeting Four: Create a Structure
Students form business teams and begin to develop their business plan through a series of specialized tasks.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
- Form and select business teams.
- Collaborate in business teams to determine leadership, conduct research, and assign tasks in order to launch the business.
- Work individually or with other Company members to conduct research and complete tasks in order to launch the business.
Meeting Five: Launch the Business!
Business teams report on their tasks and findings to the entire Company and come to a consensus on major decisions as they launch the business and finalize their business plan.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
- Engage in business communication and implementation.
- Research business processes, and integrate information across all teams.
- Apply the concept of accountability to practices in the Company.
- Complete a business plan.
Meeting Six: Run the Business
Each week, business teams meet to provide status updates to the entire Company, review priorities, and accomplish tasks to meet Company goals and objectives.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
- Practice business communication and implementation.
- Practice task prioritization.
- Practice follow-through.
- Submit important information.
- Practice problem solving and critical thinking.
Additional Topic Modules for Meetings Six - Eleven:
- Capitalization: Students examine types of capitalization and practice the art of the pitch for future start-up capital.
- Finance: Students practice using the company's financial tools for their own future business idea.
- Leadership: Students explore aspects of leadership.
- Marketing and Communication: Students explore marketing through a virtual job shadow of top professionals from across the country.
- Sales: Students practice sales techniques through a video blog.
- Supply Chain: Students explore the basic supply chain and examine quality control techniques.
Meeting Seven: Run the Business
Each week, business teams meet to provide status updates to the entire Company, review their priorities, and accomplish tasks to meet Company goals and objectives.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
- Practice business communication and implementation.
- Practice task prioritization.
- Practice follow-through.
- Submit important information.
- Practice problem solving and critical thinking.
Additional Topic Modules for Meetings Six - Eleven:
- Capitalization: Students examine types of capitalization and practice the art of the pitch for future start-up capital.
- Finance: Students practice using the Company's financial tools for their own future business idea.
- Leadership: Students explore aspects of leadership.
- Marketing and Communication: Students explore marketing through a virtual job shadow of top professionals from across the country.
- Sales: Students practice sales techniques through a video blog,
- Supply Chain: Students explore the basic supply chain and examine quality control techniques.
Meeting Eight: Run the Business
Each week, business teams meet to provide status updates to the entire Company, review their priorities, and accomplish tasks to meet Company goals and objectives.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
- Practice business communication and implementation.
- Practice task prioritization.
- Practice follow-through.
- Submit important information.
- Practice problem solving and critical thinking.
Additional Topic Modules for Meetings Six - Eleven:
- Capitalization: Students examine types of capitalization and practice the art of the pitch for future start-up capital.
- Finance: Students practice using the Company's financial tools for their own future business idea.
- Leadership: Students explore aspects of leadership.
- Marketing and Communication: Students explore marketing through a virtual job shadow of top professionals from across the country.
- Sales: Students practice sales techniques through a video blog.
- Supply Chain: Students explore the basic supply chain and examine quality control techniques.
Meeting Nine: Run the Business
Each week, business teams meet to provide status updates to the entire Company, review their priorities, and accomplish tasks to meet Company goals and objectives.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
- Practice business communication and implementation.
- Practice task prioritization.
- Practice follow-through.
- Submit important information.
- Practice problem solving and critical thinking.
Additional Topic Modules for Meetings Six - Eleven:
- Capitalization: Students examine types of capitalization and practice the art of the pitch for future start-up capital.
- Finance: Students practice using the Company's financial tools for their own future business idea.
- Leadership: Students explore aspects of leadership.
- Marketing and Communication: Students explore marketing through a virtual job shadow of top professionals from across the country.
- Sales: Students practice sales techniques through a video blog.
- Supply Chain: Students explore the basic supply chain and examine quality control techniques.
Meeting Ten: Run the Business
Each week, business teams meet to provide status updates to the entire Company, review their priorities, and accomplish tasks to meet Company goals and objectives.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
- Practice business communication and implementation.
- Practice task prioritization.
- Practice follow-through.
- Submit important information.
- Practice problem solving and critical thinking.
Additional Topic Modules for Meetings Six - Eleven:
- Capitalization: Students examine types of capitalization and practice the art of the pitch for future start-up capital.
- Finance: Students practice using the Company's financial tools for their own future business idea.
- Leadership: Students explore aspects of leadership,
- Marketing and Communication: Students explore marketing through a virtual job shadow of top professionals from across the country.
- Sales: Students practice sales techniques through a video blog.
- Supply Chain: Students explore the basic supply chain and examine quality control techniques.
Meeting Eleven: Run the Business
Each week, business teams meet to provide status updates to the entire Company, review their priorities, and accomplish tasks to meet Company goals and objectives.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
- Practice business communication and implementation.
- Practice task prioritization.
- Practice follow-through.
- Submit important information.
- Practice problem solving and critical thinking.
Additional Topic Modules for Meetings Six - Eleven:
- Capitalization: Students examine types of capitalization and practice the art of the pitch for future start-up capital.
- Finance: Students practice using the Company's financial tools for their own future business idea.
- Leadership: Students explore aspects of leadership.
- Marketing and Communication: Students explore marketing through a virtual job shadow of top professionals from across the country.
- Sales: Students practice sales techniques through a video blog.
- Supply Chain: Students explore the basic supply chain and examine quality control techniques.
Meeting Twelve: Liquidate the Company
Students conclude remaining company business operations, liquidate the Company, and decide what to do with the profits.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
- Explain and follow the liquidation process.
- Complete business closing and liquidation tasks, including recordkeeping.
- Create an annual report.
Meeting Thirteen: Create a Personal Action Plan
Students create their own personal action plan using the knowledge and experience gained throughout the program.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
- Understand the importance of networking,
- Complete a personal action plan.
- Explore potential career options.