London Inc. Spring 2021 - 20

Upfront Education

STOP, DROP,
OPEN UP SHOP
Turning its focus to
transitioning onsite
programs into virtual
experiences, Junior
Achievement continues
the learning - and learns
a little itself, too

CAN YOU FORM a successful business with 15 people you
have never met in person and likely never will?
That was the question posed to students involved in
Junior Achievement's Company Program (a four-month
program that teaches grade nine to 12 students how to
organize and operate a real business) last year, when it
became apparent that JA was not going to be able to use
the traditional in-person program model for the 2020-21
school year.
The resounding answer: Yup, we can.
JA had done a quick pivot last year, when the ﬁrst wave of
pandemic shutdowns arrived two weeks before the 2019-20
Company Program wrapped up.
" We were able to get the students to complete their last
two meetings online, and then we started thinking forward because we didn't know what this school year would
look like, " recalls Karen Chafe, JA South Western Ontario
(www.jacanada.org/jaswo) director, programs and operations. " We decided to move totally to virtual. "
On a national level, that meant rethinking how all JA
programs - entrepreneurship, ﬁnancial literacy, work
readiness - were designed and delivered. Virtual platforms
were already in JA's plans, but the pandemic fast-forwarded
the timeline to launch them, says Chafe.
The Southwestern Ontario and Waterloo Region JAs
20 | londonincmagazine.ca | SPRING 2021

Karen Chafe, director, programs and operations, JA South Western Ontario

partnered to bring students from across both regions
together online for this year's Company Program, and
being forced to move to a fully virtual format yielded some
unexpected and interesting beneﬁts, observes Chafe.
" We were able to mix students from 23 different
communities, and that brought different perspectives to
each company, " she says. " They were forced to try new
ways of doing business, with more e-commerce and online
marketing strategies. "
" This structure has brought new ideas and energy and
to the program, " echoes SWO JA's president and CEO, Bev
Robinson.
The 160 students involved in the Company Program
formed 12 businesses, and they had to be creative and think
beyond the typical products and services that have been
offered by past companies in the program.
Some ideas were Covid driven: an e-activity book for
kids; a pandemic self-care kit; an online activity program
for kids; stay-in-touch postcards. Others companies opted
for products with a purpose, such as clothing that promotes
mental health awareness or that raises money to protect
oceans and marine wildlife.

http://www.jacanada.org/jaswo http://www.londonincmagazine.ca

London Inc. Spring 2021

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