I often speak to audiences about money: the stories we have about it, the shame and embarrassment we feel talking about it, and how social media is making it harder than ever to set goals that are relevant and true to yourself.
At some point during each presentation, I ask who learned about money in school. Few, if any, hands go up!
Everything about money is learned. Our beliefs, our attitudes, our habits, our skill, our mastery. Most of us start this education way too late.
One of the key pillars of Junior Achievement, in addition to Entrepreneurship and Workplace Readiness, is Financial Literacy. You can see why Junior Achievement aligns so closely with my values! They do great, very important work.
This is where my passion for Junior Achievement comes from: my desire to get the next generation building a good relationship with money right from the start. I’ll even do lunch-and-learns for companies in exchange for donations to JA. I figure if I’m teaching my peers, it’s a good idea to pay it forward to the next generation. I want to see a future with more and more hands going up!
One of the key pillars of JAJunior Achievement, in addition to Entrepreneurship and Workplace Readiness, is Financial Literacy. You can see why Junior Achievement aligns so closely with my values! They do great, very important work.
Here’s proof, from the Boston Consulting Group, which reported in 2010 that:
- JA in Canada creates an annual return to society of $45 for every $1 received from supporters.
- The work of JA has a direct impact of $105 million on Canada’s economy each year.
- Achievers are 3X more likely to hold senior and middle management positions in their organizations.
- Achievers are 50% more likely to open their own business, which leads to innovation, new jobs and wealth creation.
- JA alumni launch 6,500 companies a year, a rate 50% higher than the Canadian average.
I’ve seen the impact of Junior Achievement up close. I’ve volunteered in the classroom, chaired Junior Achievement Nova Scotia, and just finished my term on the Junior Achievement Canada Board. JA Canada reaches thousands of students across the country. And they’re ahead of the curve when it comes to building community and sharing knowledge, deploying technology in a smart way to streamline operations and also reach more volunteers and more students. Junior Achievement is in the planning stages of some pretty amazing things.
I’m still in touch with and mentor some of the amazing young people I met through JA, and I just love watching them thrive.
“I want to see your kids, grandkids and future employees raise their hands high when asked if they learned about money in school and were taught how to sustain a healthy relationship with finance, wealth and money. Would you like to play a role in that future?”
In the spirit of Financial Literacy Month, I would love for you to find some time, during this last week of November, to help our next generation achieve financial literacy by donating time or money.
You can donate to the national digital strategy or your own local chapter. Stat here: https://www.jacanada.org/donate. It’s a great way to prepare kids for achievement!
And if you feel your own financial literacy is lacking, I’d be happy to answer your questions! Just leave them in the comments below or contact me directly for a consult.
