New "JA Company Program" Gives Teens 21st Century Entrepreneurial Experience

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Sept. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Junior Achievement USA^®, in partnership with The Hartford, today unveils its reimagined JA Company Program^®, to provide aspiring teen entrepreneurs with the skills and real-world experience to become the entrepreneurs of tomorrow. Now digitized, the updated JA Company Program includes 13 new modular experiences as part of a blended-learning approach that offers groups of students the opportunity to understand the steps involved in launching their own businesses while learning the basics of entrepreneurship, financial literacy and business success.

The sessions include interactive content such as vodcasts led by subject matter experts that explore concepts such as brainstorming a product or service. Lessons also discuss the importance of conducting market research to refine the product or service to meet consumers' evolving needs.

"The new JA Company Program gives students the opportunity to play a greater leadership role in the process with volunteers encouraging them to find their voice and spark the entrepreneurial spirit," said Jack E. Kosakowski, president and CEO of Junior Achievement USA. "They have the opportunity to apply concepts used by this generation's entrepreneurs, such as e-commerce and crowd-funding."

The 13-week after-school program divides each session into two parts: "Company Ops" and "Deeper Dive." Students report on progress and accomplish learning objectives during "Company Ops" and participate in a more robust learning experience, either individually or in groups, to challenge themselves to push further during "Deeper Dive." Click here to see JA Company Program in action.

The revised JA Company Program is the result of a $1.5 million investment from The Hartford to support 100,000 students through Junior Achievement. The Hartford's commitment supports its Communities with HART philanthropy initiative to encourage the well-being of America's communities by enabling today's small businesses to grow and inspiring a new generation of small business leaders.

"The Hartford is proud to partner with Junior Achievement and serve as the title sponsor of its flagship JA Company Program," said The Hartford's Chief Executive Officer Christopher J. Swift. "We encourage the students of today to become the successful entrepreneurs of tomorrow, a commitment that grows out of our passion for helping small businesses prevail."

JA Company Program is Junior Achievement's longest running program, beginning in 1919 with the founding of the organization. Today, nearly half a million students globally flex their entrepreneurial spirit each year with JA Company Program. 

To learn more about JA Company Program and inquire about how to bring it to local schools, please visit www.ja.org.

About The Hartford
With more than 200 years of expertise, The Hartford (NYSE: HIG) is a leader in property and casualty insurance, group benefits and mutual funds. The company is widely recognized for its service excellence, sustainability practices, trust and integrity. More information on the company and its financial performance is available at www.thehartford.com. Join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheHartford. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TheHartford.

About Junior Achievement USA®
Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches 4.4 million students per year in 115 markets across the United States, with an additional 5.8 million students served by operations in 120 other countries worldwide. Visit www.ja.org for more information. 

Video - http://youtu.be/h9-dMCOT3cY

SOURCE Junior Achievement USA