“It’s never too early to start building students’ financial literacy. We believe that creating foundations that build upon each other over time is the key to having graduates go on feeling really prepared for handling financial matters as adults. So starting as early as kindergarten and having a dose each year that stacks on top of their foundation of knowledge we believe is important.” – Chris Gdowski, Superintendent, Adams 12 Five Star Schools
Each elementary school program involves five lessons of 30 to 45 minutes each, which can be delivered all in one day or one lesson at a time over multiple days. All programs are offered at no cost to schools.
Classroom Programs
Kindergarten
JA Ourselves® introduces kindergartners to the concept of individual choices and how those choices affect both themselves and others. Students explore needs and wants, saving and sharing, and how personal responsibility helps them grow. Students practice character-driven behaviors stemming from resilience, teamwork, and purpose, building confidence, hope, healthy relationships, and future career possibilities.
1st Grade
JA Our Families® introduces first graders to financial literacy and work and career readiness through exploring the roles and responsibilities of family members and how families work together to meet needs and wants. Students learn about the importance of jobs, money, and decision-making through fun stories, discussions, and hands-on activities, including a new design-and-build STEM session where they create and build tools to solve daily challenges. They begin to see how families are the building blocks of their community.
“I have participated in Junior Achievement for many years in my first grade classroom. My students love all of the activities and the materials that go along with them. The activities are hands-on and interactive. When I am teaching about financial literacy and other social studies topics throughout the year I find myself referring back to our Junior Achievement activities that we did in the Fall.” -Janell Collins, North Mor Elementary School
2nd Grade
JA Our Community® introduces second graders to the many roles people play in a community and how communities work to meet shared needs. Students explore jobs, businesses, and the use of money, through activities that show how people rely on one another. The learning experience takes familiar places—like stores, schools, and neighborhoods—and connects them to larger ideas of cooperation and citizenship. By participating in hands-on experiences such as games and role-plays, students develop a sense of belonging and see themselves as capable contributors to their community’s success.
“Junior Achievement inspired and prepared our second grade class to begin their journey into our ever-changing global economy. They helped our second graders understand their role in an economic community as individuals, entrepreneurs, and consumers. They were able to successfully incorporate engaging, real-life lessons that made financial literacy both fun and enjoyable for students and teachers alike. I can honestly say that it is because of the well-delivered and created lessons offered by Junior Achievement our second graders now have taken a great first step on their way of becoming financially literate.”
– Joey Peplinski, Eagle County Charter Academy
3rd Grade
JA Our City® introduces third grade students to the essential concepts of community, collaboration, and the economy through hands-on, engaging activities. Through interactive experiences like city-building, designing sustainable spaces, and simulating financial decisions, students will connect their actions to broader societal outcomes, highlighting the impact of personal choices on local economic success.
“Wow. What a treat it was to have our JA volunteer come in to help my students with the concepts of community, commerce, banking, and credit, and loans, and entrepreneurship. Thank you for this fun and engaging service.”
– Danny Ferry, Avon Elementary School
4th Grade
JA Our Region® helps students explore how regional differences shape job opportunities, resource use, trade, and consumer choices. It shows students how their choices can contribute to their local and regional economies.
“The fourth grade students truly love the Junior Achievement program – it allows them to experience the entrepreneurial world in a fun and meaningful way. The higher-level concepts of goods, services, opportunity costs and more become real to them, and not just abstract vocabulary words.”
– Lisa Coalwell, Big Thompson Elementary School
5th Grade
JA Our Nation® introduces students to essential aspects of our nation’s economy, skill development, career exploration, and community involvement. Students will see how their skills and actions contribute to their own success and to the economy. Through hands-on games and activities, students will discover how competition and innovation work, explore different career options, and learn the value of giving back to their community.
JA More Than Money® (3rd-5th Grade)
JA More than Money® introduces students to financial literacy and entrepreneurship, and to social studies learning objectives that include money-management skills, goods and services, and global markets. Through hands-on activities and a JA cast of characters serving as symbols for financial literacy and entrepreneurship concepts, students learn a practical approach to starting a business and making smart decisions about managing money.
