Impact
by Design
Aligning our efforts for results
Relevant Approach
MAKING CONNECTIONS
When people gather and have opportunities to connect to each other, share experiences and look to the future, the experience is powerful.
We created relevant learning opportunities for Central Ontario’s young people, delivered in ways that best meet their needs. Our approach allowed us to reach 45,827 students, representing a 5% increase over last year.
We also launched the JA global brand strategy in our region and created a new website, providing more ways for students, parents, teachers, volunteers and corporate partners to get to know who we are, as well as interact with us.
OUR IMPACT GOAL
We aim for young people in Central Ontario to be economically empowered with the skills, experiences and relationships necessary to lead fulfilling lives and to shape tomorrow’s society and economy.
We do this by developing and partnering to present new programs, offering learning experiences that are tried, tested and true, as well as ensuring the information and resources we provide are current and accessible.
NEW LEARNING EXPERIENCES
During the 2022-2023 year, we were delighted to offer new learning experiences, including:
- Partnering with the Ontario Ministry of Education to host Young Entrepreneurs in Action. This bilingual virtual event highlighted how students learned to think like entrepreneurs in the Ministry’s Entrepreneurship Education Pilot Project. They pitched their ideas and met industry experts who helped them take the next steps to a rewarding future as creators.
- Collaborating on a brand-new project with the Z Zurich Foundation, Zurich Canada and JA Canada to host a Mental Well-Being Summit. The event inspired and prepared 87 grade 8 student participants with mental well-being tools to thrive in high school and beyond.
- We launched Pitch Your Vision, a 6-week learning experience providing students in grades 9 to 12 an opportunity to explore generating, developing and evaluating ideas for launching a new entrepreneurial venture. 307 students participated, testing their new ideas in an environment that encouraged and celebrated creativity and innovation.
Adding these learning experiences to our line-up of established learning experiences for young people benefited everyone involved.
PROVEN LEARNING EXPERIENCES
JA continues to update and ensure our proven programs remain as relevant to students today as ever, including:
- In April, over 425 students in grades 7 and 8 across Central Ontario took part in our Empowering Indigenous Leaders webinar. They came together virtually to learn from a panel of inspirational Indigenous role models. The speakers, including keynote presenter Kyana Kingbird, shared their career journeys and answered students’ questions to inspire them as they plan their own career paths.
- More than 8,500 students in 303 classes took part in Economics for Success, (for grade 8 students) learning how to prepare for the world of work, gaining the financial tools needed for life after high school, and more than 6,700 students in 248 classes took part in Dollars with Sense (for grade 7 students) where they learned how to make smart financial decisions.
Photography by: Jesús Maza
"We were very fortunate to have
this program, which was truly an eye opener for beginners in finance like me. The activities were profoundly enjoyed by all my friends and me. The activity I liked most was the budget project.”
- Dollars with Sense student (grade 7)
FROM UNCERTAINTY TO CLARITY
At the beginning of this year there was uncertainty about how learning opportunities would roll out, given the state of the pandemic at that time. We chose to face forward with cautious optimism, planning multiple ways to connect with students and accounting for various scenarios in terms of how the pandemic might play out over the coming months.
Happily, we were able to enact our best-case plans by returning to in-person learning experiences and events. We also incorporated the most successful elements of our virtual learning experiences into our activities, making the most of what we learned over the past few years.
Upon reflection, it is clear that our program delivery models are more effective than ever as a result of combining the best of in-person and online methods of student engagement and learning.
PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS
We were proud to provide a variety of relevant information and skill-development activities for youth in Central Ontario this year. By partnering with like-minded organizations, businesses and volunteers who have established expertise, we created inspiring learning environments for the next generation of leaders.
“This was my first time presenting to a high school group. The teacher was really supportive and the students were really engaged. I feel honoured to have had the opportunity to learn about this group’s goals, and show them how to start thinking about how they can financially support their dreams.”
- Volunteer
