Our history

Inspiring Students to Succeed in School, Life and Business Since 1919

JA was founded in 1919 by Horace A. Moses, Chairman of Strathmore Paper, in Springfield, Massachusetts. Since our founding, we have become the world’s largest not-for-profit organization dedicated to educating young people about business. In over 100 countries worldwide, JA inspires students to succeed in a global economy and reach their highest potential.

Creating New Generations of Canadian Leaders

Ralph Baker, former President of the Standard Oil Company, brought JA to Canada in 1955. He recruited Vancouver's business community to provide programs for 250 students.

JA Canada was established in 1967. Over the years, we have expanded our programs across Canada. Today, our 14 locations serve Canadian youth from coast to coast. To date, 5 million Canadian youth have participated in our financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship programs.

How we achieve

By helping youth stay in school, encouraging entrepreneurship, and teaching financial literacy skills, JA in Canada creates an annual return to society of $45 for every one dollar spent.*

*The Boston Consulting Group (2011 report)

We continually strive to meet the growing demand for our programs, and aim to reach one million students per year across Canada by 2021. To accomplish this, we are creating an integrated digital learning environment that will allow us to use technology to enhance our program delivery and provide our volunteers with more flexible training options.

Read more about the transformational impact of our programs

 
Our mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy.