​According to a 2023 report, Utah is the third-best state for home schooling. That’s great news for those who believe it’s the best option for their children. Luckily, what a home school looks like is changing, and the opportunities it can include are expanding. Many opportunities available to public school students, like Junior Achievement (JA), are also available to home-school students. 

Several Utah families have found a way to incorporate an annual hands-on entrepreneurial experience into their homeschool co-op through JA, and it’s become a highlight for students and parents alike. Both parents of home schools and policymakers of public schools should consider how experiential learning, particularly in entrepreneurial skills, can benefit our students now and in the future.  

Participating in a home-school co-op 

Jenelle is a home-schooling mom. She is one of many families participating in a large Utah home-schooling co-op in Utah called “2K Academy: A group of homeschool families.” The families are a traditional home-schooling group, meaning they do not use a virtual charter school or state resource for their schooling. Parents in the co-op swap turns giving academic instruction to the students and get together for park days, field trips and other learning activities.  

One of the most exciting learning activities of the year is a day at Junior Achievement City – an interactive in-person, half-day learning experience called BizTown, where elementary students learn about financial and economic principles provided by the nonprofit Junior Achievement. 

Experiencing Junior Achievement City 

If someone were to visit one of the sites for Junior Achievement City, they would find a miniature city, with realistic small storefronts like Smith’s Marketplace, RC Willey, Chic-fil-A , Real Salt Lake, or even a small City Hall. On a JA City day students get to experience adult life, including running businesses for a portion of the day.  

Part of the fun and learning for students attending BizTown at JA City is that they have jobs, staff different storefronts, get a debit card, write checks, manage personal and business budgets, make and spend money, and even vote for the city mayor. The experience requires students to collaborate, problem-solve, and think critically with others their own age.  

For Jenelle and her group of home-school students, going to JA City is a day that students enthusiastically look forward to attending. It’s an opportunity to conquer new challenges and gain confidence.  

“Junior Achievement City has been a big blessing to our group,” Jenelle said. “We really have seen the kids that have participated grow as they’ve learned more about how to balance finances, how to work as a group and as a team. … And we see the kids grow when we attend. A lot of them start out our visit to Junior Achievement City nervous and they are worried that they will somehow mess up, and by the end of it they are usually very confident in their job that they’ve been assigned.” 

For instance, one student had a lot of nerves prior to the day and was concerned he would fail. The parents assured him they would be there to help, but by the time he was immersed in it, he was telling the parents to give him his space. He found a sense of independence and confidence. Another student loved being a CEO so much, he decided not to use any of his breaks and worked straight through the whole experience. Another student CEO almost backed out because she had to give a speech as part of her duties. But she focused, practiced, and gave it her best effort. She even received an award that day. 

The preparation and logistics 

Before a day at Junior Achievement City, students learn financial literacy principles via a virtual or in-person classroom. Attending Junior Achievement City can be a capstone experience to the curriculum that Junior Achievement also provides on fiscal, economic and entrepreneurial knowledge, which her students use in their home-schooling group. The coursework can be accessed online or not, and while it’s flexible in terms of how you want to incorporate it, Jenelle says the coursework lasts about a semester for her group.  

There are a few other things to do to prepare, like planning ahead to get available spots. According to Jenelle, the best way to join the program as a home-schooling family is to contact JA directly or join an existing group with available spots. It is something students look forward to, and she often doesn’t have enough spots to accommodate every student who wants to attend. Additionally, prior to attending JA City, students apply – and sometimes get rejected – for jobs that they perform on JA City day.  

While the program is available to public school classes, home-schooling families should feel encouraged to know there is a day set aside for home-schooling groups. The in-person programs include BizTown (geared toward fifth graders) and Finance Park (geared toward secondary students). Luckily, for parents who are footing the bill entirely for home school, the cost for Jenelle’s group has been minimal too – around $5 per student.  

A word to interested parents  

“There aren’t any other opportunities quite like Junior Achievement City,” Jenelle says. She explained it is not only a chance to have students learn topics they will need in the future, but the experience is also a lot of fun for students and parents. 

Jenelle said being a volunteer on a JA City day is a coveted spot for the parents. She also emphasized to other home-schooling families that there’s nothing a traditional school student has access to that a home-school student can’t access if their parents do their own version of it.  

Conclusion  

Junior Achievement’s curriculum, and its experiential learning opportunities with Junior Achievement City, is a clear example of this. Home-schooling parents who are interested should feel empowered to learn more about it and seek out opportunities to participate.  

Furthermore, policymakers and school leaders should consider ways for all students in our states to access hands-on, experiential learning. This could include policymakers offering grants for LEAs to use on experiential learning providers like JA or teachers seeking out Junior Achievement opportunities specifically. There are many ways to increase experiential learning. Education leaders of all types ought to actively seek out these opportunities. 

Helpful resources related to this article: 

Junior Achievement 

Junior Achievement of Utah programs at JA City 

Q&A with president and CEO of Junior Achievement of Utah and Idaho