Junior Achievement International
The Early Years
Junior Achievement International is an affiliate
of Junior Achievement Inc., which was founded in 1919 in Springfield,
Massachusetts, by Horace Moses, then president of Strathmore Paper Company.
The original goal of Junior Achievement was to
give young people the skills they needed to succeed in a business environment
once they entered the workforce. This was accomplished through an after-school
program that gave students the opportunity to run their own company set under
the direction of a volunteer business person.
Innovation and Growth
Beginning in 1974, Junior Achievement began
developing programs for in-school use. With this new focus, business people
actually went into the classrooms to share their experiences with students
during normal school hours. Besides being very cost-effective, the programs were
able to reach a much greater number of students than the after-school programs.
Over the years, Junior Achievement has developed sequential programs that span
the K-12 curriculum. JA's Impact 2005 will expand the number of students
annually reached in the United States from 3 million to 11 million students by
the year 2005.
International Expansion
In 1955, Junior Achievement established its first
international operation in Canada. Following this, the program was implemented
in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Mexico and the Philippines.
By 1989, the program was operating in 15 countries. Since the fall of the Berlin
Wall, interest in Junior Achievement has grown at a phenomenal rate. Countries
throughout the former Soviet Bloc have begun implementing JA programs. This
interest in private sector development has also carried over to other regions,
including Latin America, Africa, the Caribbean and Asia.
To better meet this increased need, Junior
Achievement International was established in 1994 to develop and serve JA
programs outside the United States. As a result, Junior Achievement
International has grown into an organization that annually serves over 1.5
million young people in 108 countries. Programs have been developed in 34
languages. Junior Achievement International is a not-for-profit organization
with a private sector board of directors and is a registered non-governmental
organization (NGO). It is supported by international corporations, foundations,
individuals and development organizations.
Why Junior Achievement International?
The demand for JA continues to grow for a number
of reasons. First, for many countries trying to attract foreign investment,
Junior Achievement programs have a successful track record of promoting a
pro-business climate, especially in developing countries. As an example, a
recent survey of Junior Achievement participants in The Gambia revealed that 98%
of the students participating in the programs had a better attitude toward
business as a result of their involvement in Junior Achievement.
Secondly, the general populace will not support
economic reform if it does not understand the risks and rewards. Junior
Achievement programs promote economic literacy, which eventually leads to
sustained economic development. In fact, no country has ever had sustained
economic development without a viable private sector.
Finally, by bringing volunteers with business
experience into the classroom to facilitate its programs, Junior Achievement
International teaches the next generation of entrepreneurs, managers, policy
makers and voters the value of free enterprise.
Continuing Relevance
With the opening of markets worldwide through
trade agreements and shifts from centrally-planned economies to market-oriented
ones, Junior Achievement International's role continues to gain importance by
educating young people about the rewards and risks of business and by helping to
create pro-business climates in many countries.
JA
in Russia
In
1991 there was signed an Agreement about dissemination of Junior Achievement
program in Russia. The person in charge for this program is now is
vice-president of the Russian Academy of Sciences, academician E. P. Velikhov.
For the coordination of activities there were created an Interregional
Non-Government Organization “Junior Achievement” and Executive Board in
Moscow.
More
than 6,500 teachers who have taught more than 400,000 pupils have been trained
by JAR program since 1991.
The
JAR teachers use the modern teaching methods, textbooks and educational computer
programs.
34 regional centers were established for the support of the program in the
following cities: Abakan, Azov, Apatity, Vladivostok, Vladikavkaz, Volgograd,
Voronezh, Vyksa, Ekaterinburg, Zelenodolsk, Ivanovo, Izhevsk, Kemerovo, Kirov,
Krasnoyarsk, Magnitogorsk, Moscow, Nizhniy Novgorod, Novorossiysk, Novosibirsk,
Omsk, Penza, Perm, Pechora, Pskov, Ryazan, Samara, Saint-Petersburg, Saratov,
Tula, Ugolniye Kopi, Ufa, Khabarovsk, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
About 500 people took
part in the JAR program as business-consultants. Educational programs of
“Junior Achievement” are licensed by Moscow Government Committee of
Education.
JA
in Primorsky Region
1997
- 2000 – about 60 school companies established in Primorsky Region
1995 – first competition in
economics for the school pupils
Since 1995 – competitions in
economics, MESE contests (models in economics and management)
1997 - 1999 – school companies
from Dalnegorsk are the winners of regional school companies fairs and
prize-winners of All-Russian school companies fairs in Moscow
School companies from Vladivostok and Dalnegorsk have visited France and Sweden
1999 - Primorsky regional “Rules
of Life” composition contest, in which pupils from 12 to 17 years old take
part. The winners’ compositions are sent to Moscow to take part in All-Russian
contest.
2000 – more than 5400 pupils are
enrolled in “Junior Achievement” program
School companies are established in 10 towns of Primorsky Region:
 |
Vladivostok |
|
Dalnegorsk
|
|
Artyom |
|
Nakhodka |
|
Spassk-Dalny
|
|
Fokino
|
|
Preobrazhenye
|
|
Kamen-Rybolov
|
|
Novo-Sysoyevka |
|
Serzhantovo
|
2000 – GLOBE program (the basics of
international business) is carried out at VSUES. The students make a joint stock
company with the partners of the same age from USA (Ohio and Florida)
2000-2001
– “Istok” gymnasia (Dalnegorsk) joins the GLOBE program. Joint stock
school company with Canadian school pupils is created.
Training programs
JAR educational programs are
oriented on the various age groups of the pupils:
| Applied Economics |
9-11 form |
International Trade Basics (Globe)
experimental program |
10-11 form
|
Business
Basics
experimental program
|
5-6 form |
| Economics for elementary school (Ê-6) |
1-3 form
|
JAR
Annual Events and Activities
-
Training contest
-
All-Russian contest
-
Annual World contest with prizes from Hewlett-Packard.
Our achievements in this field are
rather impressive! 1
and 3 places in the 1995/96 Annual World contest were won by the Russian pupils!
|
"Teachers’
Brotherhood" -
conference for teachers
|
|
All-Russian school companies Fair in Moscow
|
|
Interregional
“Rules
of Life” composition contest
|
|
Regional Centers’ Directors meetings in Moscow
|
You
can find more about Junior Achievement program at www.jaintl.org
| 
