Our Impact
Inspiring and empowering young people
Meet the winners of the 2023 JA Biz Café Competition
Congratulations to Aksheyan, Janoshan & Larry, grade 10 students from Victoria Park Collegiate Institute, for winning this exciting competition.
We're pleased to announce that Aksheyan, Janoshan & Larry, a team of grade 10 students from Victoria Park Collegiate Institute, has won JA Central Ontario’s Biz Cafe Competition, sponsored by Cognizant Foundation.
JA BizCafe is a business essentials simulation that places high school students as managers of their own small college-town coffee shop.
Through this immersive simulation, students will gain valuable and fundamental skills in running their very own businesses. Students will explore handling financial statements, differentiating between cash and accrual accounting, handling staffing issues and much more!
“Our favorite part of the simulation was being rewarded for the thought and considerations we put into each decision and achieving noticeable results.”, says the trio from Victoria Park Collegiate Institute. “Throughout the simulation, we learned about the several types of decisions a business needs to account for in order to be successful as well as the trade-offs a business has to consider when making every decision. Additionally, we learned how it isn't enough for a business to look at itself, but rather, it must evaluate the overall market and competition in order to thrive.”
Volunteers from the Cognizant Foundation prepared our students through an exciting online event that helped students explore key business concepts for the competition. The winning team will also receive a $500 post-secondary scholarship to support their future goals.
About JA Central Ontario
JA Central Ontario envisions a world in which young people have the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities. They want to make sure all young people are economically empowered with the skills, confidence and networks to shape the future.
As a youth-centred charity, JA Central Ontario works together with a dedicated network of volunteers, partners and educators to deliver immersive learning in work readiness, financial health, entrepreneurship and more. JA students benefit from mentorship and real-world experiences, transforming their knowledge, skills, attitudes, and aspirations as they build their futures.
JA Central Ontario impacts students in Halton, Peel, Toronto, York, Durham and Simcoe regions. They are part of one of the world’s most-impactful youth-serving social good organizations – JA Worldwide – and they work closely with our national network, JA Canada.
