Helping Cherokee students achieve their dreams

Cherokee Nation Foundation is working hard to increase financial literacy in Cherokee students. With support from Cherokee Nation Businesses, CNF is partnering with Junior Achievement of Oklahoma to provide interactive, hands-on curriculum to students throughout northeast Oklahoma as early as 5th grade.

These programs are designed to support the skills and competencies identified by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, with curriculum correlating to state standards in Social Studies, English and Math.

Available programming includes JA BizTown, Finance Park, Personal Finance, Job Shadow and Investor Challenge.

Contact us today at 918-207-0950 to find out more information on how you can bring JA programs to your classroom.

Junior Achievement Programs

JA BizTown
In 2011, Cherokee Nation became the first tribe to occupy a commercial space in Junior Achievement’s kid-sized city, JA BizTown. In addition to sponsoring the replicated Cherokee Phoenix newspaper, the partnership also provides financial support for classrooms to attend.
JA Finance Park
JA Finance Park helps students build a solid financial foundation. The curriculum helps students make intelligent financial decisions regarding income, expenses, savings and credit. The program is composed of 13 classroom lessons, culminating in a hands-on budgeting simulation. Additional extension activities are available for each lesson topic. Lessons are offered in a traditional classroom presentation format designed for middle-grade students and in a project-based learning format for high school students. Both provide educators a method of delivery that will best meet the needs of their students.
JA Job Shadow
JA Job Shadow offers students a unique opportunity to visit the professional work environment at Cherokee Nation Businesses. Students participating in the program acquire and apply the skills needed in demanding and ever-changing workplaces. Students learn to recognize career clusters and potential job positions; understand the importance of researching job requirements; and develop tools to assist in a job search such as networking, resumes and interviewing skills.
JA Inspire

JA Inspire is more than a career fair, it brings together the business community and local schools and is designed to help launch middle school students into their futures: high school, college, careers and beyond.

The program is both classroom and event-based, and consists of three segments:

  1. in-class sessions presented by the classroom teacher
  2. the hands-on JA Inspire expo
  3. an in-class debrief

During the JA Inspire expo, students participate in hands-on activities, often using equipment or tools used on a job. The multi-hour experience is configurable to align with local industry and career opportunities.

JA Investor Challenge

JA Investor Challenge is an exciting and educational hands-on introduction to the stock market. High school students form teams and are given the chance to experience the excitement of buying and selling stock shares on a live trading floor.

The JA Investor Challenge provides a unique opportunity for students to learn how to work as a team, make decisions under pressure and take calculated risks.