Research conducted by the independent RMC Research Corporation and the JA USA Education Group shows that the combination of JA Finance Park’s financial literacy curriculum and experiential learning program increases the financial capability of middle school students who participate.
Some of the findings of the evaluation include:
- Teachers see JA Finance Park as a “wake-up call” for students to the financial realities of adulthood, and students relished the opportunity to learn more about what their lives will be like once they are on their own.
- Teachers liked the fact that participation prompted their students to think about their careers and purchase choices and helps them to realize the importance of a college education in allowing them to achieve the income needed to support themselves and their families.
Students specifically learn:
- To plan for big purchases
- To make and follow a budget
- To pay attention to how much they spend
- Different options for saving money
- Difference between credit and debt
- How taxes work
- How insurance works
JA-Rocky Mountain also employs evaluation techniques to prove and improve the impact of programs offered to elementary, middle and high school students. Read more about how JA programs inspire and prepare young people to own their economic success.