Investment Strategies Program (ISP)

The earlier youth learn financial literacy, the more likely they are to invest and save later in life. Recent U.S. research has found that “people who have had financial education participate more often in retirement programs, make larger contributions and have a much higher savings rate than others”.

JA’s Investment Strategies program (ISP) teaches students how to save and invest for the future. The program includes both interactive classroom lessons and an online stock market simulation, Invest JA, where students manage their own simulated stock portfolio. The simulation is linked to live data from North American stock markets and is an exciting, risk-free way for students to apply the investing principles they learn in the program.

Teaching Students the Value of Wise, Educated Investments

ISP is a series of lessons that prepare students for an online stock simulation. Videos and teacher-led programming help students research stocks, build a portfolio, learn about investment terms, ethics and more. Students participate in a competition against their peers across Canada.

By participating in ISP, students will learn how to make smart investment choices. They will:

• Understand the pros and cons of different investments, such as RRSPs, exchange-traded funds and GICs
• Follow a Canadian stock for the duration of the program
• Create a mutual fund
• Learn how to buy low and sell high
• Act as a financial advisor to apply what they learn
• Build a portfolio for the online stock market simulation
• Learn about socially and ethically responsible investment
• Learn how to identify investment scams
• Test their knowledge by competing against other teams from across Canada

At the end of the ISP, students will know how to research and select investments and manage an online stock portfolio. This prepares them to make savvy investment choices throughout their lives.

ISP builds upon previous JA financial literacy programs. 

Want this program in your classroom?