Junior Achievement (JA) is the world’s largest organization dedicated to equipping students in grades K-12 with the skills needed to effectively manage money, prepare for the workforce, and start businesses. Our experiential programs help prepare young people for the real world by showing them how to generate wealth and effectively manage it, how to create jobs that make our communities more robust, and how to apply entrepreneurial thinking to the workplace. Students put these lessons into action and learn the value of contributing to their communities. JA’s unique approach allows community volunteers to deliver our curriculum while sharing their experience and expertise with students. Our classroom volunteers transform the key concepts of JA’s lessons into a message that inspires and empowers students to believe in themselves, showing them they can make a difference in the world. JA programs align with state and national curriculum standards. Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South is our area’s local office, reaching students in Memphis and surrounding counties, Northern Mississippi and Eastern Arkansas.
You will be delivering programs created by professional curriculum development staff at JA USA. JA programs begin at the elementary school level, teaching children how they can impact the world around them as individuals, workers and consumers. JA programs continue through the middle grades and high school, focusing on the key content areas of financial literacy, work and career readiness, and entrepreneurship.
No prior training is needed to be a JA volunteer. You just need enthusiasm, good communication skills and a desire to make a difference. We’ll provide all the materials and training you need before you enter the classroom.
All of the JA programs are designed to be fun and rewarding for the students as well as for the volunteers. Because of the ease of implementation, training for most of the JA programs (e.g. K-7) is provided on the morning of the event. A virtual orientation is provided for the JA Inspire Career Expo during the week prior to the event with a walk-through provided the day before the first day of the event. For the JA programs involving a guest speaker, e.g. the JA Career Speaker Series and Subject Matter Expert programs, the Program Manager meets with the guest speaker two (2) weeks prior to the event date and coordinates a meeting between the guest speaker and the teacher to occur one (1) week prior to the event date.
No. All the lesson plans and activities for use in the classroom or in our JA experiential capstones are created for the volunteer and detailed in an easy-to-follow guidebook. We’ll also provide you with all of the materials necessary to teach the program or lesson.
For the JA in a Day programs, the easy to use materials include a concise Volunteer Guide with teaching scripts, activities and vocabulary words. An electronic version of this kit is provided in advance of the program date for (optional) advanced preparation. For BizTown and Finance Park, a Volunteer Guide is provided on the day of the program to prepare the volunteer for the day’s experiential flow. No formalized preparation is needed for the JA Inspire Career Expo. For the guest speaker programs, preparation is speaker-based.
Please remember, all JA programs are intended to foster a fun and rewarding learning experience. The JA staff will provide all necessary training. Therefore, no extensive pre-preparation is required.
No, the teacher will always remain in the classroom to assist with any issues that may arise. The volunteer presents each activity to the students; the teacher is present to provide classroom management, offer insight into the class and to help out if the volunteer needs assistance.
Your JA volunteer commitment could vary from a single school day to one-hour visits depending on the program you choose.
This FAQ applies primarily to the JA in a Day, JA BizTown and JA Finance Park programs. The first 30-45 minutes after arrival is reserved for training and preparation. Review and continued preparation can also occur during the volunteer’s designated lunch time if desired.
The volunteer has the autonomy of this option based on the selected program of choice. Each program’s description indicates the grade level(s) served.
Yes! We welcome parents to complete the application signup process to be able to join in this rewarding volunteer experience at their child(ren)’s school. We also encourage parents to expand their volunteer reach by also joining us at other schools to show support for children throughout the communities we serve.
We are always looking for “ambassadors” to help us expand into more schools. If there is not a JA program in your child’s school, please contact JA to see how you can help.
JA offers after-school programs, but core programs are taught during school hours. The days/times for elementary school programs are agreed upon between the volunteer and teacher; for middle and high school programs the days/time may be predetermined.
Volunteering with JA not only helps to inspire and prepare local students, it can also strengthen your communication, self-confidence, coaching, leadership, presentation, facilitation and time management skills. Companies that encourage employees to volunteer with JA enhance their image by demonstrating their commitment to educating today’s youth and supporting the local community.
While eighteen (18) is the minimum age indicated for most of our programs, high school minors involved in a leadership program may volunteer at the elementary level JA programs with a parent’s or guardian’s consent. Please email volunteer@jamemphis.org for more details.
