Junior Achievement and RSM Unveil Take Stock in Your Future® to Teach Teens About the Stock Market

CHICAGO – (September 17, 2020) – RSM US LLP (“RSM”) – the nation’s leading provider of audit, tax and consulting services focused on the middle market – along with Junior Achievement USA, are pleased to announce the launch of JA Take Stock in Your Future®, a program that helps high-school students understand the inner workings of the stock market, and helps take away the mystery of investing.

JA Take Stock in Your Future introduces high school students to the stock market. This program includes two components: a classroom curriculum, and for many participants, a separate JA Stock Market Challenge competition event. The classroom curriculum comprises five sessions that introduce students to basic concepts about how the stock market works and the impact of current events on the stock market. The program also includes multiple student self-guided extension activities that engage students in deeper learning about the stock market and investing concepts. Through JA Take Stock in Your Future, students discover the benefits and challenges of investing in the stock market as part of a broader, long-term investment strategy and the risks and rewards of trading.

The program comes in both a teacher-led and volunteer-led models and uses blended learning technology. These models allow the JA Take Stock in Your Future to be delivered in various learning environments that are being used this school year in response to social distancing guidelines.

“We live at a time when more Americans than ever are responsible for planning their retirements, and yet too many people don’t have a strong understanding of how equity markets work,” said Jack E. Kosakowski, President and CEO of Junior Achievement USA. “With RSM’s support, JA Take Stock in Your Future will help young people better understand how stocks and other markets work so that when they are ready to begin planning for retirement, they will be able to make better-informed decisions.”

“At RSM, our people take great pride in supporting their local communities in the 86 cities where our people live and work across the country and in Canada,” said Doug Opheim, chief financial officer with RSM US LLP, and chairman of the board of directors of the RSM US Foundation. “Giving back to the community is simply part of our firm’s DNA. And we’re happy to work with JA to help build tomorrow’s middle market business leaders through the Take Stock in Your Future® program, which focuses on creating meaningful and inclusive educational experiences for all students.”

For more information about Junior Achievement and programs like the JA Take Stock in Your Future, visit Junior Achievement’s website. To learn more about stewardship at RSM and about the RSM US Foundation, visit RSM’s website.