JA Youth Trailblazers Camp is an engaging, hands-on summer experience that helps middle school students develop an understanding of basic business principles and the professional world. They will learn how to think like an entrepreneur, develop an understanding of the workforce, and make wise financial decisions to achieve the future they want for themselves and their families.

Who: Students who are in 6th through 8th grade during the 2025/26 school year (incoming 2026/27 6th graders are not eligible)

When: June 15 through 19, 2026 – Camp hours are 9:15 a.m. to 3 p.m.
* Drop-off from 8:30 to 9:15 a.m.
* Pick-up at 3:30 p.m. (no late pick-ups permitted)

Where: JA Free Enterprise Center – 6500 Greenwood Village Blvd., Greenwood Village, CO 80111

Cost: $25 registration fee + $250 program fee (need-based scholarships available, can cover up to half the cost)

This camp will be led by highly qualified JA staff. A 10:1 student-to-staff ratio will be maintained at all times.

Schedule:
Day One: Launchpad – Campers will use this first day to get to know who they will be working with throughout the week. JA staff has designed fun, interactive, challenging, and team-oriented activities for everyone to get to know one another and introduce financial literacy, career readiness, and entrepreneurship topics that will be covered throughout the week.
Day Two: Innovation and Branding – Campers are challenged to develop a new flavor concept of Oogie’s Gourmet Popcorn for a specific target audience: their peers. The students work collaboratively in groups to develop their ideas into a proposal, which will be presented on Friday!
Day Three: Career Compass – Campers are introduced to practical information about preparing for the working world while still in middle school. Students will have the opportunity to meet JA volunteers from a wide range of companies and careers. Students will also get to experience interactives within the JA Dream Accelerator to gain perspective on how their personal qualities, strengths, and aspirations can provide the foundation for passion-driven careers!
Day Four: Financial Literacy Lab – Campers build a foundation for making intelligent and lifelong personal financial decisions through a hands-on, realistic simulation experience.
Day Five: Innovation Showcase – Campers wrap up the week by presenting the popcorn flavor that they developed for Oogie’s Snacks. They reflect on the career connections they made throughout the week and test their knowledge through a gameshow competition!