JA Ignite
JA Igniting the American Spirit
In 2010, JA-Rocky Mountain launched an exciting three-year demonstration project, Igniting the American Spirit. The project will serve as a potential national model for expanding students’ knowledge of free enterprise and their knowledge of personal financial literacy. To start, JA will saturate five low-income, K-12 feeder systems in Adams 12, Aurora, DPS, Englewood and Sheridan with all of JA’s programs and will provide unprecedented training resources, both for teachers and volunteers. We will show that students participating in this project will do as well, or better than, higher income students on state-mandated testing in personal financial literacy, and will have better attitudes and behaviors toward staying in school than their peers.
Each of the districts has a demonstrable need, virtually no financial resources and, most importantly, a strong desire to have their students excel in the classroom and on state-mandated tests. Conversely, JA has delivered free enterprise and economic education programs in Colorado since 1950; is currently reaching more than 100,000 students each year; has a ready-to-deliver curriculum, and a proven track record of identifying volunteers and placing them in classrooms; and offers its program to districts, schools and students at no cost.
Led by JA, Igniting the American Spirit is a collaborative effort with other notable and effective non-profits such as Colorado Council on Economic Education, Young Americans for Financial Literacy, and the Public Education and Business Coalition.
View the Ignite Year 2 Executive Summary
Personal Financial Literacy Training
Schools participating in Ignite are eligible to attend a FREE Personal Financial Literacy Training presented by Great-West Financial and delivered by the Colorado Council for Economic Education. Teachers also receive a $125 stipend for attending the all-day class and continuing education credit. Click here to register if you are an elementary school teacher or click here if you are a secondary teacher.
Schools Currently Participating in the Ignite Project
Adams 12
Thornton High School
Leroy Drive Elementary School
Stellar Elementary School
Stukey Elementary School
Coronado Hills Elementary School
McElwain Elementary School
Thornton Elementary School
Aurora Public Schools
Gateway High School
Vista Peak Campus K-9
Century Elementary School
Iowa Elementary School
Virginia Court Elementary School
Wheeling Elementary School
Clyde Miller Elementary School
Elkhart Elementary School
Sable Elementary School
Park Lane Elementary School
Denver Public Schools
Abraham Lincoln High School
Kepner Middle School
Grant Middle School
Castro Elementary School
Doull Elementary School
Godsman Elementary School
Goldrick Elementary School
Johnson Elementary School
Munroe Elementary School
Charles M. Schenck (CMS) Elementary School
Schmitt Elementary School
College View Elementary School
Gust Elementary School
Englewood School District
Englewood High School
Englewood Middle School
Cherrelyn Elementary School
Clayton Elementary School
Bishop Elementary School
Sheridan School District
Sheridan High School
Sheridan Middle School
Fort Logan Elementary School
More than 5,385 participants from more than 100 companies hit the lanes to help Junior Achievement (JA) provide financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurial programs to local students. The 30th annual JA Bowl-A-Thon, presented by Pinnacol Assurance, raised a record … Continue reading
Teacher Appreciation Week is May 6 to 10, 2013. Junior Achievement would like to thank all of the wonderful teachers who welcome JA volunteers into their classrooms. We appreciate you!
It was freshman year and our economics class entered to a Junior Achievement volunteer ready to teach us about business ethics. Honestly, as 14 year old freshmen, we didn’t think business ethics to be terribly applicable to our everyday lives, … Continue reading
