Age range

Website: boston.ja.org

Mission/Goals: To ensure that every child in America has a fundamental understanding of the free enterprise system.

Notes: Through age-appropriate curricula, Junior Achievement programs begin at the elementary school level, teaching children how they can impact the world around them as individuals, workers and consumers. Junior Achievement programs continue through the middle and high school grades, preparing students for future economic and workforce issues they'll face. Junior Achievement partners with community organizations and schools to implement their curriculum.

Source(s): www.guidestar.org; boston.ja.org; www.ja.org

Type of Evaluation: Quasi-Experimental

Note: Program does not specify sites included in research sample.

Objective: The study assessed the long-term impact of national Junior Achievement in-school programs on student outcomes.

Impact/Outcomes: JA programs had a statistically significant association with students' attitudes and aspirations regarding education and employment. JA students outperformed non-JA students on school performance indicators such as academic honors and computer skills. JA students also had a significantly better level of understanding of the free enterprise system. JA was also found positively associated with post high school outcomes in areas such as post-secondary education, employment and general life aspirations/attitudes. For example, JA students were more likely to go to college immediately following high school, they were more confident about their educational abilities, and were more likely to have a postive self-concept, relative to the comparison sample.