Hello Achievers & Advisors,

Please review this email for some important reminders and updates.

New updates included in this email:
  • Company Programs Awards Update
  • Team Challenge Update
  • Event Updates and Details

Deadline Reminders:
  • Battle of the Ads Workshop Registration - Due March 5 (TODAY)
  • Showcase & Social Media Form - Due March 5 (TODAY)
  • JA Canada National Scholarships - Due March 19
  • Upcoming Deadlines in April

Previous Updates:
  • CP Calendar Update
  • CP Visits
  • Mid-Year Student Checkpoint
  • Student Engagement Ideas
  • Use of JA Logo - Clarifications
  • Wages/Salaries (NOT MANDATORY)
  • External Student Opportunities


NEW UPDATES
Company Program Awards Update

Here is the full list of the awards and their eligibility and application requirements for this year.

Individual Awards
  • President of the Year
  • Leadership in Finance
  • Leadership in Marketing
  • Leadership in Sales
  • Leadership in Production & Technology
  • Leadership in Human Resources
  • JA Journey Award
  • The Extra Mile Award *NEW FOR 2021*
  • Changemaker Award
  • Jane Eisbrenner Scholarship *NEW FOR 2021* (monetary scholarship for grade 12 students; does not require advisor nomination)
*All individual awards must be nominated by the Advising Team. One nomination per category per team is allowed. For the departmental awards, it does not have to be the VP who is nominated - nominee can be executive or non-executive.

Group Awards
• Company of the Year (3 categories: Retail, Technology, Social Enterprise)
• Gary and Joanne Reamey Family Award (CSR Award)
• Best Brand Award
• Team Challenge Award
*Teams can nominate themselves (with Advisor reference) to any or all of the awards.

AWARDS APPLICATION PROCESS:

Step 1: Advisor will nominate the students (for individual awards). Students will complete the application forms and submit by April 9.
Step 2: Applications are reviewed by preliminary judges. Finalists are selected.
Step 3: Finalists will attend Virtual Student Interview Night (May 5)
Step 4. Winners will be announced at ventureON (May 26)

NEXT STEPS:

Review the full eligibility requirements here: https://bit.ly/3kW4zus

APPLICATION FORMS: We will send out the details on how to apply for these awards my mid-March (end of next week).

LEAD ADVISORS: Please review the full award eligibility requirements for individual awards at the link above with your advising team and discuss who you would like to nominate - you can notify your selected students anytime. I will also be sending details next week regarding an advisor call to review the awards process.

ALL STUDENTS: Please review the full award eligibility requirements for group awards at the link above with your team and discuss which group awards you would like to apply for and start planning ahead.
Team Challenge Update

Here are the TOP 4 teams so far in the Team Challenge (in alphabetical order):

  • BeZen
  • Seace
  • TalkZz
  • 4ourpets

There are quite a number of teams close behind so make sure you keep of the great work, stay on top of deadlines and keep an eye out for any bonus points coming your way!

*Keep in mind that points are only calculated if the deadline for that particular item has passed.
Event Updates & Details

Thursday, March 11th from 3 to 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 18th from 4 to 6 p.m.

FAQ: All students and advisors are invited to both the commercial workshop and the showcase. There are no limits to how many students can attend the showcase.

ADVISORS & EXECUTIVES: Please ensure you review the emails with your entire team so that you are aware of the registration and requirements.

THURSDAY PROGRAMS: If your team meets on a Thursday evening, we will have to kindly ask you to push back the start time of your meeting and/or meet for a shorter period of time.

DEADLINES
Battle of the Ads Workshop Registration
Due: Friday, March 5 (TODAY)

Please register to attend here: https://forms.gle/mzzfHU17T7HFCSD88
Showcase & Social Media Form Due
Due: Friday, March 5 (TODAY)

Please submit your form here: https://forms.gle/quJBYXMXtfBmQYf18

Register for the Hopin Event here (each attendee must register individually): https://hopin.com/events/ja-company-program-youth-entrepreneurs-showcase
JA Canada National Scholarships
DUE: Friday, March 19

ACHIEVERS: As JA Central Ontario Company Program students, you may be eligible to apply for the following national scholarships offered by JA Canada:

2021 Al Beech Memorial Award
Value: $2,000

2021 Evelyn Ruskin JA Corporate Awareness Scholarship
Value: $1,000

2021 Seymour Schulich Entrepreneurship Scholarship
Value: $3,000

You can learn more about the application requirements here.

Deadline to Apply: Friday, March 19, 2021

Note: Where it says letter from JA Charter, you can request a letter directly from your JA Advisors since they have worked with you directly and can speak to your skills and talents.
Upcoming Deadlines for April

  • Friday, April 9 – CP Awards Due (Applications will be sent next week)
  • Friday, April 16 – Final Attendance and Commercials Due (Contest details will be released at the workshop on March 11)
  • Friday, April 23 – Final Shareholders’ Report and 2nd Fixed Cost Payment Due
  • Friday, April 30 – Advisor Recognition and Yearbook Form Due 

Remember to:
  • Plan Ahead & Organize Your Time 
  • Delegate Tasks
  • Do not leave tasks to the last minute! 


PREVIOUS UPDATES
Calendar Updates

In light of the news that March Break has now been postponed to April, we have made some adjustments to the CP Calendar.

Please note the following changes:
  • March 15-19 will now be Week 15 instead of March Break
  • April 5-9 will now be Week 18 (last scheduled week)
  • April 12-16 will now be the scheduled "March Break" (you can opt to meet this week too but it is not mandatory)
  • April 19-23 will be an optional week for teams to finish up if they need the time

LEAD ADVISORS: If your team meets on Mondays or Fridays, please note that April 2-5 is the Easter Holiday Weekend so you may need to cancel your meetings and use the optional week instead.

You can view the CP calendar here: https://www.jacocompanyprogram.ca/calendar
CP Visits

Each team has now been scheduled for a CP visit with one of our JA Staff members over the next few weeks.

LEAD ADVISORS: Please ensure that you communicate the visit date to your team members. If there is a conflict, please us know ASAP. If you did not get an invitation, please let Lucia know.
Mid-Year Student Checkpoint

If you haven't already had a chance, please take a moment to complete the student survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K6WD3GB

We appreciate your feedback!

NOTE TO ADVISORS: We want your feedback too and will be sending you a separate advisor survey link. Thank you!
Student Engagement Ideas

We know that many of you are concerned with engagement in the program. We hear you! It's been a challenging year and we know that being virtual has added to the challenges. You're not alone!

Keep Going: Remember that you are part of a TEAM. Whether you are the president, an executive or hold another important role on the team, you have to work together and support each other. Don't let the responsibilities fall on one or a few members. The most successful teams are the teams that utilize the talents and skills of EVERY member on the team.

  • Speak up and ask for help from your teammates or offering your help to teammates
  • Check in on your teammates to see how they are doing and how you can support them
  • Ask each other how you want to contribute and what you want out of this experience
  • Give everyone the opportunity to take leadership over their role, tasks, responsibilities and keep each other accountable
  • Lead by example and encourage/motivate each other!

We've gathered a few tips (from YOU!) on how you're keeping the team focused and engaged:
  • Hosting game nights and other socials outside of weekly meetings (sometimes you just need a chance to hang out with your teammates to re-energize (helpful sites to try out: backyard.co or gather.town)
  • Setting a clear agenda before each meeting and letting everyone know what to expect; delegating sections to members on the team
  • Scheduling short icebreakers in the middle of the meeting to re-energize the team and get everyone back on track
  • Challenge and encourage your teammates to utilize the communication tools you have chosen (Slack, Discord, Instagram, etc.) - perhaps there is something to incentivize everyone (a weekly prize or challenge or a way of recognizing team members who are engaged)
  • Use breakouts whenever possible - members are more engaged in smaller groups
Use of JA Logo - Clarifications

When using the JA Central Ontario Logo on your website, packaging, etc., please use the logos provided below.

REMINDERS:
  • Please make sure you are using the CORRECT JA logo on all of your materials - do not use the logos you find on Google. Use the "JA Central Ontario" logo only.
  • You must also ensure that your name is listed as: "Name of Company, a JA Central Ontario Company"

CLARIFICATIONS:
  • If you are doing a physical product, the JA logo and "JA Central Ontario Company" does not need to be printed directly on the product - it can be printed on a tag or card that goes with the product.
  • On your social media accounts, in your description, please include: "A JA Central Ontario Company"
  • On your website, the JACO logo and "A JA Central Ontario Company" should be placed in a spot that is visible to all visitors
  • Your company logo does not necessarily have to include the JACO logo or "A JA Central Ontario Company" but if you are printing it somewhere or it's on your website, it should be placed side by side.
  • Make sure you use the correct language when including your sponsor/led teams (i.e. Sponsored By, Led By, etc.) - if you're unsure, you can email [email protected].

Wages/Salaries - NOT MANDATORY

This is a reminder that we are waiving the requirement to pay wages/salaries this year for all teams. You can still opt to pay them as a team but it is not required under JA regulations.
External Student Opportunities

We've added a section to the JA Central Ontario resource page where you will be able to find some external student opportunities offered by our partners and sponsors.

Head on over to learn more about some current opportunities offered by CPA Ontario!
Upcoming Dates

To view the full CP Calendar including upcoming deadlines, click here.

March 5
Showcase & Social Media Form Due
Battle of the Ads Registration Deadline

March 11 (3 to 4:30 p.m.)
Battle of the Ads Commercial Workshop

March 18 (4 to 6 p.m.)
Youth Entrepreneurs Showcase

March 18-25
People's Choice Award Voting Period
Should you have questions or concerns regarding any of the above information, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected]

Thank you!

Lucia & Lesley
The Company Program Team
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