JA Company is a four-month program that supports high school students in starting their own business.
During spring 2021, 110 high school students from 24 different schools created 10 businesses!
Igniting Ottawa’s Future Leaders, adapting to the new reality
JA Ottawa is shifting its programs to continue to nurture Ottawa’s youth during this unprecedented school year.
About the Program
Need
Entrepreneurship is a huge engine of economic growth for Canada. According to Statistics Canada, approximately 68% of net new jobs are created by Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs).
However, few opportunities exist for K-12 students to develop key skills and gain real-world experience in the areas of entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and work readiness skills. By fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in K-12, we are empowering young people to become job creators.
Response
This school year, 9,713 students took part in a career exploration or financial literacy program through JA Ottawa.
Since 2012, JA volunteers have engaged more than 32,000 Ottawa students in JA programs that provide hands-on, experiential learning activities. Our programs inspire youth to make better financial decisions, explore career pathways, and develop an entrepreneurial mindset.
Impact
The Boston Consulting Group found that JA Company graduates in Canada are 50% more likely to become entrepreneurs; and three times less likely to spend more than they earn, or to be unemployed.
In 2016, ONFE and OCDSB won an IPN Global Best Gold Award for Partnership (North America) for their innovative and collaborative approach to helping local students apply business concepts to real-world tasks, work in a team to start a small business, and develop essential skills they will use in the future through JA Company In-School.
JA Company
Watch this JA Company Awards Video to find out more!
Get Tools and Resources for JA Ottawa
If you are interested in learning more about JA Ottawa, check out the following resources and videos.
Popular resources for this program:
Spark the Entrepreneurial Spirit of Youth
Help students connect classroom learning with real-world problems and issues. Your investment will inspire students to develop needed soft skills for tomorrow’s careers and help foster a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation in our K-12 schools.
Volunteer with JA Ottawa
You can help us develop tomorrow’s leaders! Our volunteers teach JA curriculum and lead students through interactive learning activities, while sharing personal work-related experiences and knowledge. You can boost your company’s profile, develop your leadership and communication skills, and have a great deal of fun.
