Small children like to do things by themselves. But as children grow, they discover that our society - our economy - depends on people working together. And it all starts with the people with whom we live. JA volunteers use a combination of pictures, stickers, and flashcards to engage students in activities about needs and wants, jobs, tools and skills, and interdependence.

Our Families discusses the role of families in the local economy.

Concepts – Business, Choices, Consumers, Earning, Economic incentives, Economic institutions, Employment, Family, Human resources, Incentives, Income, Interdependence, Jobs, Money, Needs, Resources, Scarcity, Skills, Spending, Tools, Voluntary exchange, Wants, Work

Skills – Analyzing information, Decision-making, Differentiating, Drawing, Following directions, Interpreting symbols, Listening responsively, Making observations, Map reading, Matching, Recognizing symbols, Sequencing, Teamwork

Our Families is a series of five activities recommended for students in first grade. The average time for each activity is 30 minutes. Materials are packaged in a self-contained kit that includes detailed activity plans for the volunteer and materials for 30 students.

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

Additional information on the program can be found on JA Worldwide's website.