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Comcast and JA help students understand global business

We live in a global economy. In fact, some of America’s largest brands, including Apple, Google, Coca-Cola, Microsoft and Starbucks, are companies that grew from humble beginnings in the United States to become global powerhouses.

Globalization often is a vital component of today’s business landscape, and Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain (JA), is proud to partner with Comcast to introduce JA Going Global presented by Comcast, a unique new curriculum for middle and high school students.

Expanding into international markets is anything but easy and requires extensive analysis and planning. JA Going Global presented by Comcast helps students explore considerations such as demographics, geography, economy, competition, infrastructure, cost of living, lifestyle and regulations.

In small teams, students are assigned an international market. Each team develops expertise on their market, completes analysis, and makes recommendations on whether expansion into that market is in the best interest of Comcast.

“Comcast is thrilled to partner with Junior Achievement to provide a real-world experience for students that will immerse them in relevant, hands-on learning opportunities as they work to take a new product – X1, Comcast’s new entertainment operating system – into new markets,” said Matt McConnell, Comcast senior vice president. “With the help of talented JA volunteers, we look forward to helping young people understand the many facets of our global economy and the challenging choices businesses make on their paths to sustained international growth.”

JA and Comcast piloted the JA Going Global curriculum with students at Rock Canyon High School in Douglas County and students at the International School at Thornton Middle School in Adams 12 Five Star School District earlier this school year. JA incorporated feedback from teachers, students and Comcast volunteers into final curriculum updates and the program was formally launched on April 1.

“We are grateful to Comcast for their leadership and support of this program,” said JA’s Vice President of Programs Meaghan Sullivan. “They are helping us provide an authentic ‘real-world’ experience for students.”

JA Going Global is appropriate for grades 6 to 9, and JA also offers an advanced program for grades 10 to 12, which takes a deeper, more complex view of global business.