Where does grocery store produce come from? Who grew the fruits and vegetables? How did they get there? In this program students discover the natural, human, and capital resources in their home states and in regions of the United States. JA classroom volunteers show how resources are combined to create goods and services that individuals, businesses, and organizations provide to consumers.

Our Region explains the economic/business resources found in state and regional economies.

Concepts – Advantage, Business, Choices, Compass rose, Decision, Disadvantage, Economy, Exchange, Expenses, Financial report, Goods, Government, Incentives, Income, Interdependence, Investment, Loss, Opportunity cost, Products, Profit, Region, Resources, Risk, Scarcity, Services, Specialization, Taxes

Skills – Applying thinking skills, Building consensus, Comparing, Compiling data, Conducting research, Decision-making, Demonstrating economic networks, Describing an economy within a region and future economic consequences, Differentiating, Following directions, Giving reports, Identifying goods and services, Identifying and organizing resources, Identifying purpose of taxes, Interpreting data, Math computations, Predicting results, Problem-solving, Reading, Recognizing major geographical features, Teamwork, Understanding symbols

Our Region is a series of five activities recommended for students in fourth grade. The average time for each activity is 45 minutes. Materials are packaged in a self-contained kit that includes detailed activity plans for the volunteer and materials for 32 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.