Thousands of students in 17 countries will participate in the JA Building a Financially Capable GenerationTM learning experience and gain skill sets and mindsets for sustainable living.
HSBC and JA Singapore are expanding a new financial education experience that teaches young people how to save, budget, and make smart decisions with their money.
The JA Building a Financially Capable Generation initiative pairs educators from JA and volunteers from HSBC with groups of students in classrooms, community centers, and online. Educators and volunteers work together to teach, coach, and mentor young people to increase their knowledge, skills, and experience with money, promote their self-confidence, and build relationships that support financial health and resiliency.
Financial education experiences like this are rare for most young people. “This is such an important topic,” explains Liam, a student who participated in the program last year. “It is not the typical subject you learn in school, or the typical thing you talk about with your friends.”
Learning Goals
JA is bringing teachers and volunteers to translate financial literacy into financial capability by illustrating it is not just what young people know, but whether they have the willingness, confidence, and opportunity to act. Our goals for students is that participants in the learning experience will:
Learning Components
The JA Building a Financially Capable Generation learning experience is designed to reinforce characteristics and behaviors of a financially capable person. Educators and volunteers coach students through the following activities while creating opportunities for them to demonstrate and apply their learning. The program is designed for youth ages 12-16. It includes a three-part approach:
An independent evaluation of the program pilot found evidence that the learning experience is working. Researchers found a key benefit of the program is introducing young people to financial capability content and concepts they don't get anywhere else. Data from pre- and post-program surveys, quizzes from the FinQuest app, and volunteer surveys and interviews showed that the program increased:
HSBC and JA Singapore are expanding a new financial education experience that teaches young people how to save, budget, and make smart decisions with their money.
The JA Building a Financially Capable Generation initiative pairs educators from JA and volunteers from HSBC with groups of students in classrooms, community centers, and online. Educators and volunteers work together to teach, coach, and mentor young people to increase their knowledge, skills, and experience with money, promote their self-confidence, and build relationships that support financial health and resiliency.
Financial education experiences like this are rare for most young people. “This is such an important topic,” explains Liam, a student who participated in the program last year. “It is not the typical subject you learn in school, or the typical thing you talk about with your friends.”
Learning Goals
JA is bringing teachers and volunteers to translate financial literacy into financial capability by illustrating it is not just what young people know, but whether they have the willingness, confidence, and opportunity to act. Our goals for students is that participants in the learning experience will:
- See the value in managing money proactively.
- Identify what is needed to make appropriate money management decisions and act on them.
- Acquire the skills to turn knowledge into practice.
- Believe and have confidence they can act according to their interests
- Evaluate barriers to active money management.
Learning Components
The JA Building a Financially Capable Generation learning experience is designed to reinforce characteristics and behaviors of a financially capable person. Educators and volunteers coach students through the following activities while creating opportunities for them to demonstrate and apply their learning. The program is designed for youth ages 12-16. It includes a three-part approach:
- Financial Capability Workshop: Volunteers and educators introduce students to key concepts and strategies for managing their money.
- FinQuest App: Students experience and overcome money management challenges through a free financial education app.
- Global FinCap Challenge: Teams of students develop ideas for social action through an intensive innovation camp and international competition.
An independent evaluation of the program pilot found evidence that the learning experience is working. Researchers found a key benefit of the program is introducing young people to financial capability content and concepts they don't get anywhere else. Data from pre- and post-program surveys, quizzes from the FinQuest app, and volunteer surveys and interviews showed that the program increased:
- Knowledge scores related to financial capabilities
- Attitude scores related to savings and insurance
- Behavioral intent related to budgeting and accessing financial services
- Self-efficacy scores related to setting financial goals and managing money
Participating Locations
JA is working with several partners on this initiative:
- JA Worldwide: As the umbrella organization of a global federation, JA Worldwide supports a network of partners in 100+ countries and six regional operating centers in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Americas, Middle East and North Africa, and the United States. Through this network JA Worldwide engages 500,000 volunteers and teachers and inspires over 10 million students. A full list of JA locations can be found here: https://www.jaworldwide.org/locations.
- HSBC: JA Worldwide partnered with HSBC, one of the world’s largest banks, to develop, launch, and grow the JA Building a Financially Capable Generation initiative. In each participating location, HSBC employees serve as volunteers and deliver the project’s foundational session, mentor youth through the FinQuest app experience, and coach teams of youth through the Global Innovation Challenge.
- Independent JA Locations: Last year, 13 JA locations participated in the project pilot. This year, 17 JA locations will deliver the financial capability program. Each member nation brings a unique set of partners that contribute to the project. This includes schools and community organizations that host project activities and businesses and HSBC volunteers and support. JA locations participating in the initiative in 2022 include:
JA of Central Ontario (Canada)
Junior Achievement China
INJAZ Egypt
Entreprendre Pour Apprendre (France)
IW JUNIOR (Germany)
JA Hong Kong SAR—China
Prestasi Junior Indonesia
Junior Achievement Malaysia
JA México
JAYE Malta Foundation
INJAZ Oman
JA Singapore
JA Thailand
Genç Başarı Eğitim Vakfı (Turkey)
INJAZ UAE
JA of New York (USA)
Junior Achievement Vietnam
JA is working with several partners on this initiative:
- JA Worldwide: As the umbrella organization of a global federation, JA Worldwide supports a network of partners in 100+ countries and six regional operating centers in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Americas, Middle East and North Africa, and the United States. Through this network JA Worldwide engages 500,000 volunteers and teachers and inspires over 10 million students. A full list of JA locations can be found here: https://www.jaworldwide.org/locations.
- HSBC: JA Worldwide partnered with HSBC, one of the world’s largest banks, to develop, launch, and grow the JA Building a Financially Capable Generation initiative. In each participating location, HSBC employees serve as volunteers and deliver the project’s foundational session, mentor youth through the FinQuest app experience, and coach teams of youth through the Global Innovation Challenge.
- Independent JA Locations: Last year, 13 JA locations participated in the project pilot. This year, 17 JA locations will deliver the financial capability program. Each member nation brings a unique set of partners that contribute to the project. This includes schools and community organizations that host project activities and businesses and HSBC volunteers and support. JA locations participating in the initiative in 2022 include:
JA of Central Ontario (Canada)
Junior Achievement China
INJAZ Egypt
Entreprendre Pour Apprendre (France)
IW JUNIOR (Germany)
JA Hong Kong SAR—China
Prestasi Junior Indonesia
Junior Achievement Malaysia
JA México
JAYE Malta Foundation
INJAZ Oman
JA Singapore
JA Thailand
Genç Başarı Eğitim Vakfı (Turkey)
INJAZ UAE
JA of New York (USA)
Junior Achievement Vietnam