JA Our Region^®

JA Our Region is an interdisciplinary program that introduces fourth-grade students to entrepreneurship and upper elementary grade social studies learning objectives, including regions, resources, supply chains, and problem solving. The program provides students with a practical approach to starting a business while preparing them to be entrepreneurial in their thinking to meet the requirements of a demanding and ever-changing workforce.

JA Our Region is a series of five sessions with additional extended learning activities offered throughout. The average time for each session is 45 minutes. Materials are packaged in a self-contained kit that includes detailed session plans for the volunteer and materials for 32 students.

All JA programs are designed to support the skills and competencies identified by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. JA programs also correlate to state standards in social studies, English, and mathematics, and to Common Core State Standards.

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

Program Implementation	Program Grade-Level
Classroom Based	Grade 4

Program Concepts	Program Skills
Advertising, Business fundamentals, Capital resources, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneur characteristics, Expense, Finance tracking, Goodes and services, Human resources, Innovation, Interdependence, Loss, Manufacturing, Natural resources, Price, Products, Profit, Region, Resources, Revenue, Reward, Risk, Services, Supply, Supply chain, Trade, Traits, Transportation	Analyzing a diagram, Analyzing information, Assembling parts, Categorizing data, Cooperative trading, Decision making, Evaluating alternatives, Following directions, Mathematics, Oral and written communication, Presenting information, Problem solving, Reading for understanding, Working in pairs, Working in groups

Program Sessions

Session One: Be an Entrepreneur

Students explore well-known businesses, their origins, and the traits common to the entrepreneurs who started them.

Session Two: Resources: Tools for Entrepreneurs

Students are introduced to resources and how entrepreneurs use resources to offer products and services in a region.

Session Three: Hot Dog Stand Game

Students learn the fundamental tasks performed by a business owner. They play a game and track the revenue and expenses of a business.

Session Four: Entrepreneurs Solve Problem

Students journey through the complex world of business problem solving by weighing potential risks and rewards and tracking the outcome of their decisions.