| Future Ready Stoughton - 2026 |
Amount Funded: $500.00 |
| The decisions students make as adults about work, spending, saving, and community involvement are influenced by the knowledge and attitudes they begin developing in elementary school. Future Ready Stoughton provides students with an early understanding of how businesses, workers, consumers, and resources are connected, helping them see the role they can play in a strong local economy. By introducing these concepts at a young age, students gain practical knowledge that supports future academic achievement, career exploration, and responsible financial decision-making.
Through Future Ready Stoughton, Junior Achievement will partner with the Stoughton Area School District to deliver JA Our Region to two fourth-grade classrooms at Kegonsa Elementary School during the 2026-27 school year. The program consists of five 45-minute lessons that help students explore how regional differences influence job opportunities, resource use, trade, and consumer choices. Through interactive activities and real-world examples, students learn how goods and services move through an economy, how businesses contribute to communities, and how individual choices can have an economic impact.
Grant funds will be used during the 2026-27 school year to provide curriculum materials, educator resources, program support, and evaluation services. Planning and teacher coordination will take place during the fall semester, with classroom implementation occurring during the school year. Following program completion, Junior Achievement will collect participation and survey data to evaluate outcomes and measure impact.
JAs turnkey curriculum allows students to access high-quality learning experiences that align with Wisconsin academic standards without creating additional demands on school resources. Lessons are designed to engage multiple learning styles through discussion, collaboration, and hands-on activities. As one JA Champion teacher shared, students "love the hands-on activities, the games, and the conversations," demonstrating the programs ability to make economic concepts relevant and engaging.
The project also supports the districts Academic and Career Planning goals by helping students recognize their interests and strengths, understand how local economies function, and begin connecting classroom learning to future opportunities. According to JAs Fall 2025 participant surveys, nine in ten students reported a stronger understanding of the skills needed for future success a |
| Future Ready Stoughton will provide approximately 40 fourth-grade students at Kegonsa Elementary School with the opportunity to participate in JA Our Region during the 2026-27 school year. This engaging five-session program helps students explore how regional differences influence job opportunities, resource use, trade, and consumer choices. Through interactive lessons and hands-on activities, students discover how businesses operate within their communities and how individual choices contribute to local and regional economies. The program encourages students to think critically about the interconnectedness of people, resources, businesses, and markets while building foundational economic literacy.
The participating teacher has already committed to implementing the program for a third consecutive year, demonstrating the value of the curriculum and its impact on students. A grant of $1,000 will support curriculum materials, educator resources, program coordination, evaluation, and ongoing support for two fourth-grade classrooms. We anticipate serving approximately 40 students through this project.
This project will be delivered by the participating classroom teacher using JAs turnkey curriculum and support resources. Teacher-led implementation has been highly successful in this classroom, providing students with a consistent learning experience while enabling the educator to seamlessly integrate JA concepts into ongoing classroom instruction.
Project success will be measured through the following objectives:
Objective 1: Deliver JA Our Region to approximately 40 fourth-grade students during the 2026-27 school year.
Objective 2: Students will report that the program is engaging and relevant, as measured through student and teacher feedback surveys.
Objective 3: Teachers will report that the curriculum is easy to implement, aligns with classroom learning objectives, and enhances student learning.
Objective 4: Participating students will receive an average of three instructional hours of JA programming, as documented by JA staff and classroom educators.
By supporting Future Ready Stoughton, funders will help ensure local students gain early exposure to entrepreneurship, economic concepts, and workplace skills that will support their future academic, career, and financial success. |
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