JA BizTown Adventures Virtual

Using a branching, story-driven treatment, each adventure provides students an opportunity to practice problem solving, decision making, critical thinking, and analytical thinking, as well as weigh saving and spending choices, consider risk management and insurance strategies, and make personal and business-related financial decisions.

JA Online Adventures for JA BizTown provides a meaningful learning opportunity that does not replace or take away from the traditional in-person simulation. The adventures support the JA BizTown curriculum and enhance student learning. They can be used as an alternative simulation experience when or if students are unable to visit an on-site location. Alternatively, the adventures may be explored before or after the on-site simulation, enhancing the overall learning experience.

JA ONLINE ADVENTURES — JA BIZTOWN HIGHLIGHTS

• Is a fully online, self-guided learning experience that students can access inside or outside the classroom, following completion of the JA BizTown curriculum.
• Requires a digital device for each participating student.
• Provides an online, interactive alternative for students who are unable to visit an on-site simulation.
• Can be used as an optional enhancement for students who take part in the on-site simulation.
• Students take on a total of five roles in the adventures. Each role takes approximately 20–30 minutes to complete. The roles may be completed in any order, and students may replay any adventure at any time.
• Students choose from 10 business models for each adventure role. Models may be represented more than once. The businesses represented reflect the local community and may include financial institutions, retail, media, city hall, and more.
• This program has a primary focus of the JA Work and Career Readiness Pathway and a secondary focus of the JA Financial Literacy Pathway.

JA BIZTOWN CURRICULUM

The JA BizTown curriculum provides educators with lessons and resources to effectively integrate work and career readiness and financial literacy into the classroom. The program supports critical thinking skills and student engagement and helps students connect the dots between what they learn in school, via in-classroom or remote learning, and the real world.

• A self-guided delivery option is under development and will be available for educator and student use in October 2020. The content will be delivery via a combination of narrated, interactive screencasts; videos; and fillable PDF student activity pages. Curriculum content will be presented in short, bite-sized components for ease of student consumption. Teacher guides will include recommendations on introducing the content, check-in points, and debriefing for both the curriculum and JA Online Adventures for JA BizTown or on-site simulation follow-up.
• The traditional classroom delivery option includes both required and optional extension activities. Print and digital educator guides are available, as well as access to digital assets, including instructional videos, digitized posters, and fillable PDF student activity pages.

JA ONLINE ADVENTURES — JA BIZTOWN STUDENT ROLES

In the role of CEO (chief executive officer), students review their customer base and make recommendations on ways to grow their business. They evaluate strategic business decisions while ensuring alignment with the company’s mission statement. They also hire a chief financial officer while balancing company needs with the budget.

The CFO (chief financial officer) adventure activities include calculating payroll, making pricing recommendations for new products or services that the business will offer, reviewing proposals, and evaluating choices for insurance needs.

The marketing director adventure allows students to make recommendations on a new product or service by looking at competitors, research data, and identification of a target market. They also make decisions for an advertising plan using a variety of media to evaluate cost and effectiveness while ensuring that decisions align with the company’s mission.

In the sales manager role, students hire another team member after evaluating resumes. They evaluate their own work ethic and explore alternatives and make choices as they deal with a customer complaint. Ethics enter into a choice they must make about hiring a training company service.

As a consumer, students open a bank account and direct deposit authorization for their paycheck. They calculate net pay and make budget decisions based on needs and wants. As they spend and earn money, they record transactions in a register.