banner photo: JA President, Lee Lewis, and Providence Schools Superintendent Dr. Javier Montanez, works with students in their JA Ourselves Kindergarten program.

JA Ourselves

JA Ourselves introduces kindergarten students to the intersection of financial literacy and early elementary grades social studies learning objectives. Through hands-on classroom activities, the program provides students with an introduction to personal economics and the choices consumers make to meet their needs and wants. It also introduces students to the role of money in society while providing them with practical information about earning, saving, and sharing money.

JA Ourselves is a series of five activities recommended for students in kindergarten. The average time for each activity is 30 minutes. Materials are packaged in a self-contained kit that includes detailed activity plans for the volunteer and materials for 30 students.

All JA programs are designed to support the skills and competencies identified by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. JA programs also correlate to state standards in social studies, English, and mathematics, and to Common Core State Standards.