Maxims, or rules of conduct, are used in the new high school program, JA Careers with a Purpose, to frame career and life decision-making. What should I do when I graduate from high school? What choices are out there? How do my skills, interests, and values match with available careers?

Through JA Careers with a Purpose, students learn to use ethical decision-making skills to make career and life decisions. They discover that their career can have a noble purpose by reviewing their values and life maxims.

JA Careers with a Purpose includes seven program sessions and strongly encourages students to complete the skills, interests, and values career assessments available on ja.org. The program also invites students to compete in the Laws of Life essay contest.

Concepts – Career, Career choices, Job, Life roles, Maxim, Noble purpose, World of work

Skills – Analyzing information, Building self-confidence, Categorizing data, Oral and written communication, Public speaking, Working in groups

JA Careers with a Purpose is a 7 session course and is recommended for students in grades 9-12. Instructional materials are packaged for 32 students and include detailed activity plans for the volunteer, workbooks for students, and consumable materials to be used in the classroom.

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.