Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan

Traditional programs - the organization is dedicated to educating participants from 5 to 25 about entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs. The programs help prepare young people for the real world by showing them how to generate income and effectively manage it, how to create jobs which make their communities more robust, and how to apply entrepreneurial thinking to the workplace. Participants put these lessons into action and learn the value of contributing to their communities. The organization's unique approach allows volunteers from the community to deliver our curriculum while sharing their experiences with participants. Embodying the heart of the organization, the classroom volunteers transform the key concepts of the lessons into a message that inspires and empowers participants to believe in themselves, showing them, they can make a difference in the world.

Ja finance programs - the organization also offers personal finance opportunities for young people, that meet the state's new graduation requirements. The ja finance park program is a reality based hands-on simulation for participants 13-25 that enables participants to build foundations for making intelligent lifelong personal finance decisions. Participants create personal budgets and are introduced to automotive transportation, banking, clothing, communications, education, entertainment, food, furniture, healthcare, home improvement, housing, insurance, investing, mortgage, non-profit and utility industries, and careers. Most of all, the hands-on nature of the program helps participants develop a realistic understanding of the economic issues they will face upon graduation. Ja financial literacy is a one-semester, teacher-led course that equips high school students with foundational personal finance skills. These skills include how to earn and save money; manage money by being a wise consumer and creating and using a budget; manage bank accounts, investments, and credit; assess risks and use insurance; and address financial problems like identity theft and debt. Volunteers engage with students through a variety of activities that may include subject-matter guest speaking, coaching, or advising for case study and project coursework. Ja personal finance allows high school students to experience the interrelationship between today's financial decisions and future financial freedom. To achieve financial health and wellness, they learn about money-management strategies, including earning, employment and income, budgeting, savings, credit and debt, consumer protection, smart shopping, risk management, investing, credit card usage, debt management, and net worth.