JA It’s My Business! encompasses entrepreneurship curriculum for students in grades six, seven, and eight. The program emphasizes entrepreneurship while providing a strong focus on social studies, reading, and writing skills. Students are encouraged to use critical thinking to learn entrepreneurial skills that support positive attitudes as they explore and enhance their career aspirations. Six volunteer-led activities are required.

The following are session descriptions and corresponding key learning objectives stating the skills and knowledge students will gain.

Session One:

I Am an Entrepreneur

Working in groups, students play the E-Quiz Game Show. They begin to identify entrepreneurial characteristics they possess by learning about the lives of entrepreneurs both past and present.

Key Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

  • Define entrepreneurship.

  • Identify four key entrepreneurial characteristics.

  • Recognize personal entrepreneurial characteristics.

Session Two:

I Can Change the World

Students work in groups to complete a blueprint for the Teen Club. They identify the first entrepreneurial characteristic, “Fill a Need”, by considering customer needs and brainstorming product design. Students begin to identify the skills and knowledge needed to start a business.

Key Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

  • Describe how entrepreneurs fill a market need.

  • Discuss the role of market research in determining market need and gaining competitive advantage.

Session Three:

I Know My Customer

Students work in groups to complete a blueprint for the Teen Club. They identify the first entrepreneurial characteristic, “Fill a Need”, by considering customer needs and brainstorming product design. Students begin to identify the skills and knowledge needed to start a business.

Key Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

  • Create effective advertisements for a variety of businesses.

Session Four:

I Have an Idea

Students participate in an auction designed to highlight creative and innovative entrepreneurs and their businesses.

Key Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

  • Recognize how being creative and innovative are necessary entrepreneurial skills for starting a business.

  • Verbally defend their decisions.

Session Five:

I See a Need

By analyzing current examples of social entrepreneurs, students identify businesses they can start. They examine ways entrepreneurs use the four entrepreneurial characteristics to develop their business plan.

Key Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

  • Analyze how entrepreneurs use their knowledge and abilities to create businesses.

Session Six:

Celebrate Entrepreneurs!

Students create Entrepreneur Profile Cards to showcase their understanding of the fourth entrepreneurial characteristic “Believe in Yourself.”

Key Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

  • Identify characteristics they share with entrepreneurs.

  • Create a Personal Entrepreneurial Profile.

DQI – TESTIMONIALS

“DQ world helps me gain more knowledge and understanding on how I will manage myself in connecting to internet and social media. Other than that, it teaches me to control my excessive usage of gadgets. … Through DQi, I have learned the importance of reducing and managing my screen time. Today I focus on helping my mother on our small business and spend my remaining time in playing with my brother after answering my modules.


Mike Vincent M. Tamparong, Narauis-Paticui Elementary School - District 2

“With this DQI, I have learned a lot as a pupil. I know the importance and value of social media. I have now the self-control of using digital technology on how to limit the screen time and exposure to gadgets as too much use can affect my health and studies. I’ve learned what informative videos to watch, I know that too much online games is bad and talking to strangers is not advisable. Most importantly, I know that personal information should be kept and save, and never tell anyone the password for security except to trusted adults for guidance and supervision. Learning to think first before clicking is one of the assets of globally competitive individuals so as respect, open-mindedness and understanding to different diversities and opinion is should be manifested in this digital world. “Be kind and treat others, the way you want to be treated.”


Christalene M. Yungco , Bungahin Elementary School - Isabela 1

“DQi have a very great help on me as a beginner user of the internet and social media. I learned a lot from it. The first thing I’ve learned is that how to manage my screen time. After DQi I only used gadgets after I finish answering my modules. Second, I should protect my account by using unfamiliar passwords. Third, it also helps me prepare if someone bullied me in social media and always be mindful of my post and messages. Lastly, the most important lesson I’ve learned after DQi is that do not believe right away the picture and videos that we have seen in the social media, because not all that are posted in social media are true.


Emmanuel Gian M. Gelvoligaya, Hinigaran Elementary School-B Hinigaran 1

JA It’s My Business! enhances students’ learning of the following concepts and skills:

Concepts – Advertising, Apprentice, Auction, Auctioneer, Be Creative and Innovative, Believe in Yourself, Bid, Business, Business Plan, Civic Responsibility, Customer, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneur Profile, Fill a Need, Know Your Customer and Product, Market, Marketing, Profit, Self-taught, Social Entrepreneur

Skills – Active-listening, Analyzing Information, Brainstorming, Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking, Decision-making, Deductive Reasoning, Estimating, Following Directions, Group Work, Interpreting Information, Measuring, Money Management, Oral and Written Communication, Problem-solving, Self-assessment.

JA It’s My Business! was strategically developed to align with academic content areas. The program’s focus on reading and writing standards ensures relevance in all classrooms affected by high-stakes testing.

JA It’s My Business! is a series of six sessions recommended for after-school students in grades six, seven, and eight. The average time for each activity is 60 minutes. Extended learning opportunities were developed to enhance and extend core activities. JA It’s My Business! provides interactive, take-home materials for students, including access to an online Entrepreneur Journal at www.japionline.org. Materials are packaged in a self-contained kit that includes detailed activity plans for the volunteer and materials for 24 students.

All JA programs are designed to support the skills and competencies identified by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. JA programs also augment school-based, work-based, and connecting activities for communities with school-to-work initiatives.