Resources
MONTHLY FEATURE: FEBRUARY- Black History Month
Celebrate Black History Month with us as we recognize historic influencers of business and education in the US, as well as local highlights. Check them out below…
Annie Malone
Annie Malone, a businesswoman and inventor who lived from 1877-1957, was known for developing mail-order beauty care products and founded a prominent educational enterprise center of cosmetics for African-American women.
Charles Clinton Spaulding
Charles Clinton Spaulding, who lived from 1874-1952, was a #businessman who ran the largest Black Owned insurance company and was honored for his achievements in business.
Madam CJ Walker
Madam C.J. Walker, was the first woman to become a millionaire. In addition to being an entrepreneur, she was also a philanthropist and social activist.
Maggie Lena Walker
Maggie Lena Walker, was a businesswoman and teacher who was the first African-American woman to charter a bank in the United States. She strived to improve the way of life for African-Americans.
BLACC Bottle: “At BLACC bottle we believe our product is more than just a bottle. It’s a canvas that promotes love, unity and positivity.” BLACC Bottle’s mission is to “identify ways we can make an impact within the communities we serve.” (from blaccbottle.com). Be sure to show your support and check out their website here: https://blaccbottle.com/
Additional Resources
Black History Month Resources (2021)
In February 2021, we celebrated Black History Month. Much of what we benefit from today has been shaped by countless African-American visionaries. We are proud to honor these innovators during Black History Month, and all year long.
Click here for a video from JA USA.
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Carter Godwin Woodson dedicated his life and career to educating the public about African American history. Not only did he serve as the principal of the Armstrong Manual Training School in Washington, D.C., but he became dean at Howard University and the West Virginia Collegiate Institute.
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Nannie Helen Burroughs is known for opening the National Training School for Women and Girls. Through her school, Burroughs sought to ensure that Black women had access to obtain education and job training.
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Edmund Gordon is a professor and intellectual. He is best known for his work as an expert in education access for minority and disadvantaged students.
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Mary McLeod Bethune helped to create the coeducational institution known today as Bethune-Cookman College. She also served as the president for many organizations including the National Association of Teachers in Colored Schools.
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Marie Van Brittan Brown invented the first home security system. The system she developed in 1966 paved the way for the security systems that are used today!
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Frederick Jones is most known for creating air-cooling units for vehicles transporting perishable foods. His refrigeration invention was also used to transport blood during World War II.
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Dr. Hannah is best known for his development of 3-D special effects that have been used in blockbusters like Beauty and the Beast and Terminator 2.
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Alice Parker paved the way of modern-day heating with her patented central heating system that used natural gas. Not only did her invention reduce the risks of home fires started by the fireplace as well as providing a more efficient way to heat a home without having to chop firewood.
High School Financial Literacy Resources
Middle School Financial Literacy Resources
Elementary Financial Literacy Resources (3-5)
Elementary Financial Literacy Resources (K-2)
Entrepreneurship Resources
In November 2020, JA of Greater Fairfield County celebrated National Entrepreneurship Month with some of our elementary and high school students with various activities surrounding entrepreneurship. Our elementary school students were introduced to the basics of entrepreneurship. They put their thinking caps on and thought about ideas for a business, the tools, and materials they would need to get started, what they wanted to call their business, and then got to design their storefront!
Our high school students viewed recorded videos from local entrepreneurs, where they explained their path to starting their own business. From there, the students reviewed these videos and reflected on the characteristics of an entrepreneur and which of those they saw throughout those videos. Follow the links below to hear from those various entrepreneurs:
Ramon Peralta – Peralta Design
Hannah Perry – The Giggling Pig
Agathe Ngo Likoba – Likoba LLC/Likoba Boutique
Career Speaker Resources
Check out these videos from local professionals speaking about their jobs.
JA Financial Literacy Videos (sponsored by Voya Financial)
JA Financial Literacy Videos are short videos that introduce students to an array of financial topics. Check them out below!
JA My Way
Join JA My Way™ to get tips and tools to put your career on the express track. Take the Personality Quiz then visit My Career to find job matches. Explore buying a car and saving for college in My Money, create pro resumes at My Resume, or get tips to start a business at My Business. Visit JA My Way HERE.
Virtual Field Trips
Take a look through these virtual field trips with Laurie Hernandez and friends, brought to you by KPMG HERE.

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