JA Financial Literacy – Semester Course
JA Financial Literacy, part of the JA High School Experience courses, is a one-semester, teacher-led course that equips high school students with foundational personal finance skills. These skills include how to earn and save money; manage money by being a wise consumer and creating and using a budget; manage bank accounts, investments, and credit; assess risks and use insurance; and address financial problems like identity theft and debt. Volunteers engage with students through a variety of activities that may include subject-matter guest speaking, coaching, or advising for case study and project coursework.
Following completion of this course, students will be able to:
— Learn the necessary concepts applicable to state and national educational standards.
— Apply these standards-based concepts to the real world.
— Synthesize elective concepts through cumulative, tangible deliverables (projects).
— Analyze a business situation or principle through the use of a case study.
— Demonstrate the skills necessary for future career pathway success.
JA Financial Literacy is part of the JA Financial Literacy Pathway. The course is a blended model that includes teacher-led content, volunteer-led opportunities, and self-guided content to support flexible implementation options. JA Financial Literacy is available in classroom-based or remote live implementation.
Program Concepts
Account statements, bankruptcy, bonds, budget, career fields and requirements, cash flow, claims, college cost and requirements, college debt, consumer responsibilities, coverage, credit, credit counselors, credit history, credit laws, credit report, credit score, debit cards, debt management, deductible, employee benefits, estate planning, expenses, financial accounts, financial goals, financial history, financial institutions, financial planning, five Cs of credit, gross pay, identity theft, income, inflation, insurance, insurance premiums, installment loans, interest, investment, IRAs and 401(k)s, liquidity, loans, longevity, mutual funds, Medicare, money, needs and wants, net pay, net worth, opportunity cost, payment, personal finance goals, rate of return, revolving credit, retirement taxes, return on investment, saving, stock, the rule of 72, transaction registers
Skills Students Learn
- Analyze sources of information
- Assess personal strengths and skills
- Build a financial plan
- Calculate net worth
- Calculate payroll based on deductions
- Calculate simple and compound interest
- Choose a career
- Complete research
- Contrast and compare options
- Create a budget
- Evaluate cash flow
- Evaluate choices
- Evaluate risk
- Identify sources of income
- Interpret data
- Interpret a paycheck
- Make decisions
- Maintain account balances
- Mitigate risk
- Plan for the future
- Plan for taxes
- Protect credit
- Review consequences
- Self-analyze finances
- Set goals
- Understand stock quotes