JA Company Program®

JA Company Program® helps young people appreciate and better understand the role of business in our society. With the support and guidance of volunteer consultants from the local business community, the JA Company Program provides basic economic education for high school students. By organizing and operating an actual business enterprise, students not only learn how businesses function, they also learn about the structure of the U.S. free enterprise system and the benefits it provides.

The learning objectives listed beside each activity state the skills and knowledge the students will gain.

Topic: Organizing a Junior Achievement Company Students analyze and explore personal opportunities and responsibilities within a company.	Key Learning Objectives The students will summarize the responsibilities of the jobs and describe leadership opportunities within the JA Company Program evaluate the leadership, educational, and social opportunities gained from the JA Company Program organize a company, sell stock, produce a product, market a product or service, and maintain financial records
Topic: Developing a Business Plan Students design strategies for a company that include a business plan, production plan, financial plan, and marketing plan.	Key Learning Objectives The students will demonstrate leadership ability construct a business plan carry out the plan establish production and sales goals for a product or service
Topic: Managing a Junior Achievement Company Students produce a product, monitor productivity, evaluate the quality of the product, and create a selling strategy.	Key Learning Objectives The students will develop an effective sales presentation differentiate between production and productivity monitor quality control describe the effect on productivity of employee attitudes and skills evaluate the impact of technology, management, and government regulations on productivity
Topic: Liquidating a Junior Achievement Company Students will compose an annual report for stockholders and develop personal career goals.	Key Learning Objectives The students will describe and compute taxes that businesses pay explain how dividends are determined and paid evaluate the impact of entrepreneurs on the U.S. economic system

JA Company Program® enhances the students’ learning of the following concepts and skills:

Concepts – Business • Capital • Choices • Competition • Division of labor • Entrepreneur • Expenses • Fixed costs • Goods • Incentive • Income • Management • Marketing • Price • Productive resources • Productivity • Profit • Services • Stock • Variable costs

Skills – Assembling products • Estimating • Filling out forms • Giving reports • Graphing • Interpreting data • Math computation • Negotiating • Problem solving • Research • Selling • Teamwork

All JA programs have technology enhancements and are designed to support the skills and competencies outlined in the SCANS (Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills) report. These programs also augment the school-based, work-based, and connecting activities for communities with school-to-work initiatives.

JA Company Program® is a 15-week course and is recommended for students in grades 9 through 12. Instructional materials include materials needed to organize and operate a Junior Achievement Company.