JA It's My Business!®

JA It's My Business! curriculum cover

Middle School
Implementation:
Classroom Based

Pillars of Student Success
Entrepreneurship High Entrepreneurship
Work Readiness High Work Readiness
Financial Literacy Minimal Financial Literacy
JA It's My Business! Blended Model provides middle school students an opportunity to learn how to turn an idea into a business. The program introduces students to the process of design thinking as a problem- solving process and provides an authentic entrepreneurial experience for students with each session building toward a product-pitch competition.

Following participation in the program, students will be able to:

-Identify their own personal entrepreneurial characteristics.
-Engage in the process of design thinking to empathize with a problem.
-Develop a business startup from its ideation, innovation, and market research through its design and prototyping.
-Pitch their new business idea to potential funders.

The program targets students in grades six, seven, and eight for either Classroom-Based or JA AfterSchool implementation. It consists of six 45-minutes sessions led by a volunteer with Additional Opportunities and 15-minute extension activities offered throughout. JA It's My Business! is offered as JA In a Day which is five 50 minute sessions in a single day.

All JA programs are designed to support the skills and competencies identified by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. JA programs also correlate to state standards in social studies, English, and mathematics, and to Common Core State Standards.

Program Concepts

Business, consumer feedback, design, entrepreneur, entrepreneurial characteristics, funding, innovation, innovative, investor, market, market research, need, product, passionate, persistent, persuasive, pitch, presentation visuals, product, product sketches, prototype, risk-taker, self-confident, self-motivated, service, speaking skills, story, surveys, target market, team player

Skills Students Learn

  • Analyze an example performance
  • analyze data from a variety of media sources
  • applying terms
  • brainstorming
  • collecting data
  • creating a model
  • creative thinking
  • communicating information through design
  • deduction
  • empathy
  • evaluating alternatives
  • group brainstorming
  • group presentation
  • group work
  • individual brainstorming
  • labeling an illustration
  • listening
  • logical reasoning
  • memory recall and matching
  • presenting ideas
  • problem solving
  • processing data from media
  • self-evaluation
  • synthesize data
  • teamwork

Program Resources

Alignment with State and National Standards

Common Core Standards

For those states that follow common core standards, Junior Achievement’s curricula have been reviewed for alignment with these standards! Learn more by selecting the appropriate grade level below.

State Standards

Junior Achievement curricula are created to align with state standards. To see how our programs align with your state’s standards, explore the options below.

Scope and Sequence

Junior Achievement learning experiences cover financial literacy, career and work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Our extensive scope and sequence helps explain how our programs cover these subjects at various grade levels.

Request a Presenter to Teach Curriculum

A Junior Achievement Volunteer teaches students
Junior Achievement lessons are delivered by volunteers from the community. These presenters are prepared by JA to facilitate engaging learning activities that focus on financial literacy, work and career readiness, and entrepreneurship. This results in an enriched learning experience that helps students make the connection between what they learn in school and the world outside the classroom.

Steps to Request a Presenter

1) Request Info

Once you’ve decided to have a JA volunteer in your classroom, fill out the form on this website. You will receive information on next steps.

2) Pick Schedule

You will be able to coordinate a schedule that works for your class either online or in conjunction with a JA representative.

3) Meet Presenter

Once a volunteer is identified for your class, JA will connect you with the presenter to discuss roles, expectations, and logistics.

4) Empower Students with Standards-Based Education

After all details are in place, the JA volunteer will deliver lessons to your students either virtually or in-person.

Request Information about this Learning Experience



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