Getting started early

Without the right support, the transition from the traditional education system to life after school can certainly be a challenging one. Junior Achievement Northern Alberta and Northwest Territories was created to establish a less intimidating introduction for young minds to develop life skills, build a platform to grow financial literacy, and help foster a community of empowerment to succeed as contributing members of society.

For over 50 years, JA Canada has been helping youth across the country. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, JA served over 16,000 young Albertans. Due to the pandemic, JA implemented online programming which assisted with delivering programming into classrooms at a lower cost. Today, more than 250,000 students participate in JA Canada.

This year, KV Capital is a proud supporter of the Junior Achievement Northern Alberta Business Hall of Fame, the organization’s annual signature fundraising event to celebrate and support JA programs for youth. The event honours Alberta’s most esteemed business visionaries for their life achievements and service to our economy, our communities and the collective future of Albertans. JA’s Business Hall of Fame has an incredible 42-year legacy and inspires JA’s students to grow their skills by from business leaders and the legacy they have created.

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Programs for young minds

JA offers 15 programs.Jennifer Martin, President and CEO of JA noted that JA Northern Alberta & NWT served 24,000 students in the 2021-2022 school year. JA’s goal is to increase student reach by 20 percent in 2022-2023.

Their current program offerings include:

·      RoboGarden: Learn to Code

·      Our Community: Needs, Jobs & Tools

·      Our Country: Technology & Innovation

·      More Than Money

·      Our Business World

·      A Business of Our Own

·      Stronger Together: Diversity in Action

·      Dollars with Sense

·      Investment Strategies

·      Economics for Success (English)

·      Economics for Success (Ukranian)

·      World of Choices

·      Be Entrepreneurial

·      Indigenous Youth Empowerment Program

·      Company Program (In-school teacher led + afterschool volunteer led)

JA programs teach youth in grades 3-12 financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship with the help of trained volunteers from the business community who bring real world insight and inspiration into schools. Teachers request JA and they also deliver programs to several non-profit partners who serve high needs youth. The best part is, JA is free of charge for educators and students. They rely solely on donations from individuals, corporations, and a very small amount of provincial government support.

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Get involved

JA programs fill a gap in the school curriculum. As Jennifer Martin states:

When students learn how to manage money, what things really cost in the real world, why an education is critical and how to succeed in the workplace, they gain both the skills and confidence to succeed. JA empowers youth to brighter futures as our next employable workforce and business leaders. JA students finish high school and post-secondary more often than non-JA students. They have less personal debt and when they start businesses, they generate more revenue and hire more staff than non-JA entrepreneurs, according to a Boston Consulting Group study. JA creates makers, not takers. JA students grow up to help create prosperity and healthier communities for all Albertans.

KV Capital is proud to support the development and empowerment of Canada’s youth with the goal of inspiring the next generation of global leaders. If you’d like to attend the 2022 JA Northern Alberta Business Hall of Fame gala and find out more about how you can inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global society, click here to purchase your ticket.