JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF RHODE ISLAND
MARY DEXTER CHAFEE FUND
GRANT REQUEST PROPOSAL
BACKGROUND AND ORGANIZATION HISTORY
Junior Achievement, Inc. was founded nationally in 1919 as a non-profit organization teaching economic
education in an after-school setting. In 1921, Junior Achievement programming came to Rhode Island and has
been a vital resource to young people and the business and education communities ever since. With the assistance
of twenty-two local business leaders, the state organization formally incorporated into Junior Achievement of
Rhode Island, Inc. in 1948 in order to maintain a permanent, long-term presence in the state. Since then, Junior
Achievement of Rhode Island's purpose has been to educate and inspire young people to value free enterprise and
understand business and economics to improve the quality of their lives. Junior Achievement is the world's largest
and fastest-growing non-profit economic education organization. Our programs are now taught in classrooms and
after-schools settings by volunteers from the business community all across Rhode Island and in over 150
countries worldwide.
PROPOSAL/PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Junior Achievement of Rhode Island respectfully requests a grant in the amount of $1,750. The funds requested
through this grant would support JA educational programs in two classrooms, impacting 44 students for the 2013
- 2014 academic year. The purpose of JA’s educational programs is to provide students with practical economic
education and learning experiences. To meet our mission of inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a
global economy, JA is guided by its core principles, which include:
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Belief in the boundless potential of young people
Commitment to the principles of market-based economics and entrepreneurship
Passion for what we do and honesty, integrity, and excellence in how we do it
Respect for the talents, creativity, perspectives, and backgrounds of all individuals
Belief in the power of partnership and collaboration
Conviction in the educational and motivational impact of relevant, hands-on learning
JA is the only organization that serves K – 12 students and uses volunteers from our community, rather than paid
staff, to deliver our curriculum while sharing experiences with students. Embodying the heart of JA, 602
volunteers transform the key concepts of our lessons into a message that inspires and empowers more than 10,500
students to believe in themselves, showing them they can make a difference in the world.
To ensure programs are relevant and support content standards, JA correlates all programs to state, national, and
district educational standards. These correlations are updated as standards are revised. Since the release of the
Common Core Standards in June 2010, JA has correlated all programs to these new national standards.
All JA programs are also designed to support the skills and competencies identified by the Partnership for 21st
Century Skills. These programs augment school-based, work-based, and connecting activities for communities
with school-to-work initiatives.
In addition, JA’s 2012 Teens and Careers Survey showed that the most popular career choices for teens today (61
percent) are in science, technology, engineering and math, often referred to as STEM. To help students explore
STEM careers, Junior Achievement has infused math, technology, science and engineering into its curriculum
across all of its grade levels.
Problem/Issue addressed
As the state’s largest business – education partnership, JARI has been focusing its efforts on addressing the
critical issues affecting Rhode Island, such as:
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Dropout Rate Crisis and Dropout Rate Gender Gap
Workforce Skills Gap
Entrepreneurial Skills Gap
Lack of Youth Financial Literacy
Urban and Urban-ring School Development
JARI programs, taught by community and business leaders, rather than paid staff, empower students to make a
connection between what they learn in school and how it can be applied in the real world – enhancing the
relevance of their classroom learning and increasing their understanding of the value of staying in school.
Participation in these programs provides students with the ability to build a foundation of financial security and
career accomplishment that will benefit them, their families, and their communities.
Funding Gaps
Programs taught by JA – Financial Literacy, Workforce Readiness, and Entrepreneurship – are not routinely
taught in schools, or if they are, they are the first programs to be cut in troubled times. Schools in Rhode Island
look to Junior Achievement to provide these supplemental learning experiences that help young people develop
the competence, confidence, and character to make smart academic and economic decisions. Educators tell us
that the JA programs in their schools and classrooms are easy to integrate and have significant impact. At a time
when school budgets are continually being cut, JA programs are offered at no cost to schools and after-school
programs.
Goals of the Proposal
The goal of this proposal is to prepare the youth within Rhode Island for the real world by showing them how to
generate wealth and effectively manage it, how to create jobs which make their communities more robust, and
how to apply entrepreneurial thinking to the workplace. Students put these lessons into action and learn the value
of contributing to their communities.
Junior Achievement benefits students by using hands-on experiences to help young people understand the
economics of life. In partnership with community and business leaders and educators, JA brings the real world to
students, opening their minds to their potential. Through JA education programs, students will gain:
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Economic knowledge and understanding through experiential, hands-on learning;
Positive attitudes toward work and their contributions to a diverse society;
A desire to stay in school and develop their skills and abilities;
Mentor relationships with caring adults from the community;
Business and education partnerships that create a bridge between the classroom and the workplace; and
Awareness of local businesses, industries, and career opportunities.
POPULATION SERVED
JA serves the entire state of Rhode Island; however, a recent focus has been on urban and urban ring school
districts, as defined by the Rhode Island Department of Education, which include: Urban School Districts –
Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence, and Woonsocket; Urban Ring School Districts – Cranston, East
Providence, Johnston, Newport, North Providence, Warwick, and West Warwick. 64% of current JA programs
are offered in urban and urban ring school districts.
With urban and urban ring schools as our focus we will be able to bring our programs to some of the most
disadvantaged areas of the state. The students in our most disadvantaged neighborhoods are least likely to hear a
message of how to be successful in our economy. JA is one way to ensure that this happens. In addition to the
students we reach directly, we are also influencing their parents. These children carry a message of hope back to
their homes, hope of breaking the cycle of poverty, and the encouragement and knowledge to do it. Our children
must see that the economy includes them, that they have a stake in the economy, and that they are vital to our
future! The Junior Achievement volunteers delivering our program materials to these children are a big step in
helping our children understand their options.
MEASURING SUCCESS
Junior Achievement of Rhode Island consistently invests in evaluating the effectiveness and impact of our
programs for three reasons – 1) to improve our programs, 2) to provide evidence of the impact of JA programs,
and 3) to demonstrate accountability to our stakeholders. We use two indicators to measure success – quantitative
and qualitative:
For quantitative measures, we track:
 How many students participate in JA programs
 How many schools offer JA programs
For qualitative measures, we will track:
 Student skills gain
 Student knowledge gain
 Attitudinal gain
To track these metrics, JA conducts pre- and post-testing for all of our programs, grade 3 - 12. The evaluation
process focuses on goals within our mission critical areas: workforce readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial
literacy. A recent evaluation of 5th grade students who participated in the Our Nation program showed a 29%
knowledge gain based on pre-test and post-test scores taken 7 - 14 days after the program was administered.
Some highlights from the evaluation summary include:
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82% of students felt they had more awareness of career options open to them
82% of students said that JA helped them understand the importance of staying in school
86% of students agreed that JA will help them prepare for their future
89% of students reported that they confidently understood the concept of successfully managing
money
PROGRAM BUDGET
A grant of $1,750 would support two classrooms or 44 students. Your investment will help Junior Achievement
inspire students and provide them with the knowledge and skills fundamental to being successful in today’s
workforce. Funds will be used as follows:
Junior Achievement of Rhode Island
Mary Dexter Chafee Fund
JA Education Programs
Curriculum Materials
Insurance
Program Staff support - volunteer/teacher recruitment and training, program admin.
Recognition - teachers/volunteers
Operating expenses - supplies, printing/copying, postage
Totals
$
$
$
$
$
$
Grant Request
234.20
11.00
1,105.86
11.24
387.70
1,750.00