Critical Issues
Junior Achievement's Thought Leadership Content
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Take a look at thought leadership content we've developed.
The Disengaged Youth Dilemma
In the United States, one in eight young adults is disconnected from employment, education, and training. At the same time, 40 to 60 percent of high school students say they are disengaged at school. What is behind the disengaged youth dilemma, and how is Junior Achievement working to address it? Learn more in this thought leadership piece.
Teens & Careers and Higher Education
How prepared do teens feel for their future careers? What role does education play? And what about AI? Learn more from this thought leadership piece.
The One Thing: The Need for Financial Literacy Education
When you ask most adults “the one thing” they wish they learned in school but didn’t, the response typically involves money management and personal finance. This thought leadership piece explores what is and isn’t working with financial literacy education and Junior Achievement’s approach to promoting financial literacy and, more importantly, financial capability.
Gen Z: Not Quite Ready for Primetime
Gen Z: Not Quite Ready for Primetime Junior Achievement recently conducted research with HRO Today to learn more about employer perspectives on Generation Z and what can be done to better prepare young adults for success in the workplace. Read the findings here.
Homeward Bound: Reawakening the American Dream
With rising prices and mortgage rates, homeownership is out of reach for many Americans. This thought leadership explores the factors behind this phenomenon and how to better prepare today's young people to be the homeowners of tomorrow.
Grad Nation: If Not College, Then What?
In recent years, the value of a college education has been called into question. But if college isn't for everybody, what alternatives are there to ensure they have the skills they need to achieve their goals in life?
Teens & Retirement
Retirement is more top-of-mind for teens than many might think, but how much do they understand what goes into planning for their financial futures? This research explores these issues and more.
Teens & Financial Wellness
Family financial stresses are having an impact on teens. Learn more about teens top concerns and possible ways to address them through financial literacy education.
Stemming the STEM Decline
In recent decades, a great amount of effort has been put into educating young people about STEM careers and the need for STEM skills. Despite this, teen interest has continued to remain flat and even decline. This thought leadership piece explores some of the factors contributing to this phenomenon and possible ways to address it.
A Generation Deferred? Gen Z and Economic Milestones
With rising prices and a changing work landscape, Generation Z is facing challenges not experienced by previous generations. Are they falling behind economically? What can be done about it? This thought leadership piece explores the challenges and possible solutions.
Generation Z and Volunteering
To gain a better understanding of how Generation Z perceives volunteering in and out of a place of employment, Junior Achievement enlisted the help of research firm Ipsos to conduct a multi-generational survey on volunteering. These are the results of an Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Junior Achievement.
Workplace Culture and Volunteering
Many employers are struggling to re-establish workplace culture following the disruptions of the pandemic. Employee Volunteer Programs, EVPs, like those supported by Junior Achievement are one way to address this challenge. This thought leadership piece covers the topic and shows JA as a solution provider.
JA Finance Park® Virtual Advanced Simulation
JA is using technology to help high school students have a better understanding of how money works, as demonstrated by this overview of the JA Finance Park Virtual Advanced Simulation.
JA Finance Park® Virtual Entry Simulation
This summary shows how the JA Finance Park Virtual Entry Simulation helps improve the financial capability of middle school students.
AI and Tomorrow's Jobs
Recent advances in Artificial Intelligence "AI" are prompting questions about this technology's future impact on jobs. This JA thought leadership paper highlights teens concerns about their future career prospects and possible ways to better prepare today's young people for tomorrow.
Why JA? And Why Now?
The nation is facing economic uncertainty not seen in decades. How will this impact today's young people, and what can be done to better prepare them to achieve their potential given the seismic forces affecting our society and the world?
The 2021-2022 Alumni Survey Report
Junior Achievement alumni credit JA for positive outcomes when it comes to managing money, pursuing a career, and starting a business. This, according to new research by Ipsos. Read the executive summary here.
Youth Homeownership Survey
How do today's young people feel about owning a home? What questions and concerns do they have? How can these questions and concerns be addressed? The 2022 Junior Achievement and Fannie Mae Youth Homeownership Survey explores these and other issues.
A Parents' Guide: Talking to Your Kids About Inflation
Inflation is back and kids have questions. This guide helps parents, and others with young people in their lives, explain the causes of inflation and what can be done to address it in ways that are easy for young people to understand.
Early Warning- Signs of Financial Abuse Beginning in Teen Relationships
Research by The Allstate Foundation and Junior Achievement shows that teens may be experiencing early signs of financial abuse in their romantic relationships. This executive summary not only covers the challenges facing teens, but steps they can take to recognize financial abuse and address it through education.
Why JA? And Why Now?
Economic Empowerment for a More Equitable and Just Tomorrow- Junior Achievement is committed to promoting a more equitable and just tomorrow for today's young people. This thought leadership piece explores the economic challenges facing Black and Latinx Americans and the role Junior Achievement can play in promoting economic mobility through education in light of these challenges.
Ipsos/JA Alumni Report
Ipsos, the world's third largest market research firm, has conducted this survey of Junior Achievement alumni in the United States. JA Alumni report the impact of Junior Achievement on their lives, including decisions related to education, career, and starting a business.
2018 Teens and Careers
The goals of this poll included better understanding teens' interests in career paths, the attraction from influencers towards specific industries, and accessibility to work-readiness and financial-preparedness courses.
The 2019 States of Entrepreneurship Report
How many states offer or even require entrepreneurship education programs? This report provides an informative overview.
The Role of Common Core Standards in College and Career-Readiness Education
America's schools face unprecedented challenges to prepare students for postsecondary education and entry into the U.S. and global workforce. Discover how programs developed by JA USA directly support the goals of the Common Core State Standards Initiative at elementary, middle, and high school levels to ensure students are college and career ready.
Are Students Prepared for the Workplace?
Business leaders claim that the generation of students entering the workplace lacks many critical "soft" skills like problem solving and critical thinking, abilities that contribute to an individual's and an organization's success. Explore Junior Achievement's new proposed model that links a foundation of recognized knowledge, skills and attitudes to measurable engagement and achievement activities. The application of this model can potentially lead to a student who is credentialed to be "workforce ready," fully prepared to contribute meaningfully upon entering a 21st century global workplace.
The States of Entrepreneurship Education in America
The number of states offering entrepreneurship education programs more than doubled between 2009 to 2015. See if your state is one of them.
2016 Teens and Personal Finance Survey
Junior Achievement's 2016 Teens and Personal Finance Survey, sponsored by the Voya Foundation, shows that teens believe borrowers, not the government, are responsible for paying off their student loans.
2017 Teens and Career Survey
Everyone agrees that STEM plays an important role in the job market of today and tomorrow. But what do teens think of STEM, and other career fields, and how does that perspective differ by gender? The 2017 Teens & Careers Survey by Junior Achievement and EY explores those issues, and more.
2017 JA Youth and Financial Literacy Survey
In its first survey of elementary-aged children and their parents, Junior Achievement discovers how well kids understand money while learning when parents think children should start learning about financial concepts. This research is presented in conjunction with the Jackson Charitable Foundation.
Corporate Responsibility and Employee Volunteer Program
Employee Volunteer Programs EVPs are an essential part of many Corporate Responsibility initiatives. But how can CR professionals ensure that their EVP efforts are meeting the needs of employees while advancing the goals of the company? This research by Junior Achievement and the Corporate Responsibility Association addresses these and other questions.
2018 Teens and Personal Finance
This survey of teens finds that only half of them plan to seek financial independence from their parents as adults! This, and other important insights, are available in this JA Teens and Personal Finance executive summary.
2018 JA Teens and Retirement
Today's 18-year-olds could start contributing to a 401K or Roth IRA with their first job, but many won't. This survey explores teens' knowledge and attitudes when it comes to saving for retirement.
2018 Teens and College Savings
Teens may think they are ready for college, but are they prepared to pay for higher education? This JA Teens and College Savings survey explores how ready today's young people are to make one of the biggest investments of their lifetime.
Meeting a Critical Need: The Impact of Blended Learning Programs
Technology in the classroom is changing the way students learn and teachers teach. This white paper, done in conjunction with eSchoolNews, explores how blended learning is impacting young people's attitudes and behavior related to money management.
Trends in the Number, Share, and Characteristics of Disconnected Youth- Implications for Future Policies and Programs
"Disconnected Youth" are defined as those between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not employed nor enrolled in school. This research, conducted by the Population Reference Bureau for Junior Achievement USA, explores how those characteristics have changed since 1970 and touches upon implications for future policies and programs.
Insuring Career Success: Teen Perceptions of Career Selection
What do you want to be when you grow up? It's an question we have all been asked, but selecting a career is a decision many teens and young adults tend to put off, as discovered in this research.
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