Junior Achievement of Oklahoma prepares students for the future

Junior Achievement of Oklahoma, a nonprofit dedicated to equipping youth with essential skills for success in today’s global economy, continues its mission through programs focused on work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy.

About Junior Achievement of Oklahoma

Junior Achievement (JA) prepares young people for success in a global economy by focusing on three core areas:

1. Work readiness – teaching students resume writing, interviewing and workplace behavior
2. Entrepreneurship – encouraging business creation and innovation
3. Financial literacy – educating youth on budgeting, saving, investing and understanding credit

JA offers these programs for students from elementary through high school, featuring interactive activities, simulations and increasingly, self-guided online resources.

Benefits for Parents and Young People

While financial literacy and career awareness are frequently cited by learners as skills they wish they’d acquired in school, many parents feel unprepared to discuss such topics with their children. JA aims to fill that gap.

"Parents [often] aren’t confident talking to their children about these subjects," said Erica Irvine, chief operating officer of Junior Achievement of Oklahoma. "This knowledge is critical to financial health in adulthood — the better prepared our young people are, the more successful they will be."

Accessing JA Programs

Most students access JA through their schools, where programs are incorporated into the curriculum. JA also offers free digital resources for parents and guardians seeking to guide their children in economic concepts.

The tools, available for youth as young as five and extending through high school, are hosted at connect.ja.org.

Impact and Success Stories

In the 2024-25 school year, JA of Oklahoma delivered programming to 66,000 students across the state. The organization employs third-party evaluations to measure effectiveness, aligned with data from JA USA.

A 2022 evaluation found that JA alumni are significantly less likely to live paycheck to paycheck, are more likely to be saving for retirement and are 44% more likely to hold their "dream job."

The full 2021-2022 JA Alumni Survey Report is available for viewing at the bottom of this story.

Long-standing Presence and Support

Since its founding in 1966, Junior Achievement of Oklahoma has been sustained through donations from individuals, corporations and foundations.

Irvine said the preventive value of the organization’s work can be a difference maker for young people.

Connect With Junior Achievement of Oklahoma

1. Instagram: @ja_oklahoma
2. Facebook: Junior Achievement of Oklahoma
3. LinkedIn: Junior Achievement of Oklahoma
4. YouTube: JA Oklahoma Channel

Additional resources for parents and educators are available at connect.ja.org and JA's elementary program resources, and via the JAOK website: Oklahoma.ja.org.