junior achievement british columbia

What inspired you to achieve what you’ve achieved?

Was it a class? An extracurricular activity?

A role model or mentor?

For many JA British Columbia ( JABC ) alumni, it’s the programs we offer.

In collaboration with visionary educators and highly skilled volunteers, JABC brings to life real-world essentials like financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship by delivering interactive, innovative programs for elementary and high school students all over the province.

In fact, we are the only organization in B.C. to do so.

JA Canada alumni are better positioned in the workforce.

Our initiatives make a tangible difference in the careers – and lives – of our alumni.

Boston Consulting Group found the average income for JA Canada alumni is a whopping 50% higher than other students. JA Canada alumni are 50% more likely to start their own business and three times less likely to spend more than they earn. Also, more than 75% say JA made a significant impact on their financial literacy and decision-making skills.

But today our programs reach only 11% of eligible youth in B.C. and we have waitlists across the province.

Demand for our programs is high and we currently reach only a fraction of the students we could. With your help, we’ll be able to change that. We plan to expand our programming, to host even more inspiring events, to set even more youth on the path to success.

That’s why we’re turning to you.

JA BRITISH COLUMBIA INSPIRES, PREPARES, AND EMPOWERS B.C. YOUTH FOR LIFELONG SUCCESS

Our work is needed more urgently than ever. In B.C. alone, 900,000 new jobs will need to be filled across the province by 2028, according to the B.C. Labour Market Outlook 2018 forecasts. Nearly 80% of those roles will require some post-secondary education, something JA alumni are more likely to pursue.

What type of roles will they be? Many don’t even exist yet; according to the World Economic Forum 2016 Jobs Report, 65% of students entering school will ultimately be employed in jobs that aren’t yet in existence.

At JABC , we help students gain the skills and education required to thrive in this evolving landscape, no matter what the future holds.

For almost 65 years we’ve worked with educators in B.C.

We work closely with educators across the province to complement and supplement the new curriculum. Our programs equip students with skills essential to their future success: communication, collaboration, leadership, problem solving and decision making.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the vision of our volunteers, JABC is able to deliver these programs free of charge so these learning experiences are accessible to all youth, regardless of their socio-economic background.

But demand is outpacing our capacity.

With your help, we’ll be able to expand our reach far beyond our current limits. We plan to increase our in-person programs by 50% and offer digital experiences that will enable us to reach many more students. We plan to expand our interactive, community-building experiences like JABC TechWorks. And we want to deliver more programs for Indigenous youth in their communities.

With your generous support, we will make an even bigger impact on the future of our province.

CLASSROOM-BASED PROGRAMS

With your help, we’ll expand our classroom-based programs.

Thanks to your generous support, we will be able to ensure more students in our province have access to JA programs, helping them become more optimistic about their potential, financially literate, and better prepared to chart their future.

All our programs align with B.C.’s new curriculum.

We collaborate closely with educators to ensure our programs support their learning outcomes. A 2019 survey found that almost 90% of educators said JA programs met their learning objectives and over 90% said they would recommend JABC to their colleagues. JABC volunteers are industry experts who give their time to bring their experience to life in the classroom. Not only do they offer students a glimpse into their career potential, they share critical skills in the process.

“I have long advocated for financial literacy within our school system,” says Eva, an entrepreneur and proud JA volunteer. “JA recognizes this need for help and we, along with corporate sponsors and willing volunteers, are bringing this powerful knowledge base to the current generation.”

Funding required $9,000,000

With your help, we will increase the number of programs JABC delivers each year by 50% Your support will enable us to reach more than 220,000 youth through in-class programs over the next five years.

Funding required $850,000

Thanks to your generosity, we’ll be able to design, pilot and expand new programming. Your support will enable us to collaborate with educators and the business community to innovate new ways to address high-priority opportunities.

Funding required $600,000

With your support, JABC will develop a digital learning platform that will expand our program accessibility exponentially. By broadening our reach, we will increase our impact far beyond the 11% of eligible students we currently reach.

Support New Program Development

Support Digital Innovation

Support Expanded Program Delivery

JABC TECHWORKS

With your help, we’ll expand student experiences across B.C., like TechWorks. Each year we bring together students, volunteers and the broader business community to celebrate and support the work we do.

One of our signature Capstone programs is JABC TechWorks, an exciting multi-school gathering that gives students in grades nine and ten a snapshot of the fast-paced world of tech and its impact across every other industry. Because technology is the fastest growing sector in B.C. and a leading economic driver of growth, the demand for skilled employees is sky high. TechWorks introduces students to a variety of tech and tech-related careers by immersing attendees in an exciting day of expert speakers, exhibits and interactive breakout sessions.

“I have opened my eyes to working somewhere in the technology field,” says Ahmad A., a grade 10 student. “This gave me a bit of a head start and I am grateful for it.”

When you support JABC student experiences, you help bridge the gap between the worlds of business and education.

Help Expand JABC TechWorks

Funding required $1,200,000

Thanks to your generosity, by 2023 , we’ll be able to host five JABC TechWorks throughout B.C. each year: in Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna, Northern B.C. and Surrey-Fraser Valley, ensuring even more students across our province are exposed to the exciting potential of a tech-related career.

“This event will make a difference in the lives of many of them – influencing the way they think and choices they make in the future,” says Susan Jong, an educator.

Support Additional JABC Capstone Experiences

Funding required $580,000

Thanks to your support, we’ll be able to deliver more Capstone learning experiences to reinforce to youth that what they learn in the classroom is relevant to the real world, helping them draw the line between staying in school and achieving career success.

Among these JABC Capstone experiences are in-person competitions like Discover your Pitch and online competitions like the B.C. Business Challenge. These hands-on experiences give students the confidence, skills and inspiration to help them flourish in school and in life.

By sponsoring JABC events, you help make possible the JA Leadership Breakfast, the Business Laureates of B.C. Hall of Fame Gala and Induction Ceremonies, and Celebrate JA ! volunteer recognition events.

Net proceeds from these events go toward the development and delivery of high-quality educational programs for thousands and thousands of students across the province. In effect, your support generates even more support.

Sponsor JABC Networking, Learning and Celebration events

Contact us to learn more.

INDIGENOUS CLASSROOMS

With your help, we’ll deliver 30 programs annually in Indigenous communities.

Indigenous youth are the fastest growing population in Canada. Still, there are persistent gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous educational outcomes for students. Yet these youth have great reason to be optimistic. B.C.’s economic outlook suggests that nearly one million new jobs will be created by the year 2030, nearly 80% of which will require some form of post-secondary education.

JABC is committed to partnering with Indigenous communities to provide access to communitybased, culturally accessible educational programs focused on building financial literacy, career readiness and entrepreneurial skills. In fact, Indigenous leaders are showing increased interest to work with JABC and deliver entrepreneurship and financial literacy programs.

Our partnerships with Indigenous communities enable us to reach students like Elsa DoxtdatorJansson, a member of the Tuscarora Six Nations and recent JABC Next Generation Leaders Forum Award winner.

When she was in high school, Elsa took part in JA ’s Company Program and was one of five students selected to represent B.C. at JA Canada’s international student conference. Now studying at UBC Sauder School of Business, Elsa says JA programs gave her the “chance to step into the shoes of the future as leaders.”

With your help, we will train local Indigenous facilitators to deliver JA programs, including the contextualization of curricula placing Indigenous cultures, experiences and values at the core of JABC ’s financial literacy and entrepreneurial programs.

Support Programs Delivered in Indigenous Communities

Funding required $850,000

INSPIRE AND EMPOWER B.C. YOUTH

To make all this possible, we need the support of leaders and visionaries like you. Imagine the potential here.

Your generosity will enable us to have a bigger impact on the lives of B.C. youth, which will enable them to make an even bigger impact on the future of our province.

We hope you’ll join us and help B.C. youth find their path to success.