JA It's My Future^®

JA It's My Future offers practical information about preparing for the working world. Students explore potential careers, discover the four factors to consider in choosing a career, and recognize basic job-hunting tools.

JA It's My Future is recommended for middle school students. It is composed of six sessions, each 45 minutes in length. Materials are packaged in a self-contained kit that includes detailed plans for the volunteer and materials for 32 students.

Session-specific, student-friendly materials are included to increase student interaction and emphasize JA's experiential approach to learning.

JA programs correlate to state social studies, English, and math standards, and to Common Core State Standards.

Pillars of Student Success	Entrepreneurship: High	Financial Literacy: Minimal	Work Readiness: High

Program Implementation	Program Grade-Level
Classroom Based	Grades 6-8

Program Concepts	Program Skills
Brand, Career clusters, Career mapping, Career planning, Employee, High-growth jobs, Interests, Job application, Job forecast, Job hunting, Job interview, Logo, Long-term consequences, Personal brand, Recommendation, Resumes, Short-, middle-, and long-term goals, Skills, Soft skills, Symbolism, Tagline, Technical skills, Working environment	Analyzing data, Analyzing information, Categorizing data, Creativity, Following written instructions, Goal-setting, Interviewing, Mapping, Model building, Oral and visual presentation, Oral and written communication, Organizing information, Reading for Understanding, Self-assessment, Working in pairs and groups

Program Sessions

Session One: My Brand

Through interviews, self-reflection, and creation of a personal logo, students explore the importance of building a positive personal brand for the future, starting in middle school.

Session Two: Career Clusters

Students explore career clusters and identify jobs for additional research. They also recognize the value of and need for all jobs.

Session Three: High-Growth Career Clusters

Students learn the four factors to consider in choosing a job, and they take a close look at some high-growth career fields.

Session Four: Career Mapping

Students explore how to use life experiences to develop work skills and how to map a path to employment goals.

Session Five: On the Hunt

Students are introduced to the basic aspects of job hunting through a scavenger hunt. They are given an organizing tool to keep all their vital job-hunting information in one place.

Session Six: How to Keep (or Lose) a Job

Students learn the difference between technical and soft skills, and they recognize the impact that their personal behavior has on their ability to succeed in a job.