Who We Are
For 55 years JA Nova Scotia has educated and empowered students to make thoughtful financial health, work readiness, and entrepreneurial decisions. Our programs are offered, at no cost, providing in-school and extra-curricular hands-on experiential programming for youth aged 5-25, setting them up with real-world scenarios and experiences to encourage them to create their successful future.
Our work is centered around three core pillars:
Financial Health
Our financial health programs introduce young people to smart saving and investing, thoughtful spending and credit, taxes, methods of payment, and the role of creating and managing a budget. By better understanding how the financial system works young people can create a plan and hold themselves accountable to the goals they set.
Work Readiness
Our Work Readiness programs support youth in exploring careers and developing their own career pathways. Whether learning from experienced mentors, testing their skills through digital experiences, or developing solutions during business challenges, JA students are preparing for the future of work.
Entrepreneurship
Our Entrepreneurial programs support youth in exploring and/or developing an innovative product or service. With the support of experienced mentors JA students are preparing to start their own business.
Using a mix of hands-on activities, discussions and digital learning, we engage students, empowering them to understand and retain what they learn, allowing them to gain the knowledge and confidence needed to secure their personal success.
Some of our programs are delivered with the support of dedicated volunteers who bring their professional experiences to students, connecting program concepts with real-life situations.
Our History
July 2025 marked an incredible milestone—55 years of Junior Achievement Nova Scotia empowering youth through our three pillars: financial health, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Our journey began with a vision that financial education should be accessible to all.
In those early days, we focused on basic education materials, but quickly learned adaptability is key. As we listened to the needs of our community, our programs started to expand, embracing hands-on experiential learning in the classroom and through extra-curricular activities.
Partnerships with the community and local businesses have been a pivotal aspect of our growth. Together, we’ve taught thousands of youths, equipping them with essential workplace skills for the real world. We’ve made financial concepts accessible, helping students learn to budget, save, and invest.
Moreover, our entrepreneurship initiatives with Company Program have ignited creativity and innovation. Students are not just dreaming; they’re taking tangible steps to turn those dreams into reality. By developing business plans and launching their own ventures, they gain invaluable insights into the world of business.
Here’s to the next chapter, embracing new challenges and opportunities while empowering youth to succeed, creating a brighter future for all.
Our programs build on and enhance the current curriculum students receive at school, with additional focus and clarity on comprehensive planning for a successful future. We prompt youth to be proactive, get comfortable with things that are unfamiliar, and develop autonomy, self-belief, and confidence—learning both in the classroom and through extra-curricular activities.