From January 2012 through February 2012, Rhode Island College’s Feinstein School of Education and Human Development, is assisting the Garden City Elementary School PTO in delivering the Junior Achievement Program in a kindergarten and fourth grade classroom.

Junior Achievement (JA) K-12 programs foster work-readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy skills and the experiential learning inspires children to dream big and reach their potential.

The elementary school programs include six sequential themes  and one capstone experience. Students learn the basic concepts of business and economics and how education is relevant to the workplace. The sequential activities build on studies from each preceding grade and prepare students for secondary school and lifelong learning.

The Rhode Island College teacher candidate volunteers are working in the following themes over weeks  five by delivering the JA curriculum and conducting interactive activities.

Ourselves^® uses compelling stories read aloud by the volunteer, along with hands-on activities to demonstrate helping, working, earning, and saving.

•  Concepts–Barter, Benefit, Buying, Choices, Consumer, Costs, Earning, Entrepreneurs, Giving,   Goods, Incentives, Income, Money, Resources, Rewards, Saving, Scarcity, Selling, Spending, Voluntary exchange, Wants, Work.
• Skills–Abstract thinking, Coin recognition, Decision-making, Drawing, Following directions, Interpreting information, Listening responsively, Matching, Responsibility, Sequencing, Teamwork.

JA More than Money^® teaches students about earning, spending, sharing, and saving money, and businesses they can start or jobs they can perform to earn money.

• Concepts–Advertising, Banking, Business planning, Consumer, Deposit, Earn, Employee, Estimate, Expense, Goods, Income, Market research, Money management, Profit, Role model, Save, Self-employed, Service, Share, Spend, Withdrawal, Work ethic.
• Skills–Active listening, Analysis, Applying information, Brainstorming, Chart data, Compare and contrast, Computation, Critical thinking, Deductive reasoning, Decision-making, Drawing, Evaluating data, Follow written and verbal instructions, Group work, Mind-mapping, Problem-solving, Recording deposits and withdrawals, Role-playing, Self-assessment, Taking turns, Teamwork, Vocabulary building.

Our Region^® introduces the relationship between the natural, human, and capital resources found in different regions and explores regional businesses that produce goods and services for consumers.

• Concepts– Business, Choices, Economy, Exchange, Expenses, Goods, Incentives, Income, Investment, Products, Profit, Region, Resources, Risk, Scarcity, Services, Specialization, Taxes.
• Skills–Comparing, Compiling data, Conducting research, Decision-making, Differentiating, Giving reports, Interpreting data, Math computations, Problem-solving, Reading, Teamwork, Understanding symbols.