JA BANKS IN ACTION

Simulation Implementation Guide

December 2006
General Information

Overview
Originally developed by Junior Achievement Argentina and Citibank Argentina, JA
Banks in Action teaches high school students the principles of the banking industry.
Through hands-on classroom activities and local, regional, and national competitions, the
program introduces students to the challenges of successfully operating a bank in a
competitive environment. Updated and redesigned by JA Worldwide™ through the
generous support of Citigroup Foundation, the program features relevant classroom
materials, a Video DVD, and an interactive web- or CD-ROM-based computer
simulation. A truly international program, JA Banks in Action not only educates young
people around the world about the banking industry, but also encourages them to become
better citizens and smarter consumers.

JA Banks in Action focuses on key topics related to operating a bank, including:

Short-term deposit products and related interest rates

Short-term loan products and related interest rates

Long-term deposit products and related interest rates

Long-term loan products and related interest rates

Research and development

Marketing

Careers in banking

Through the JA Banks in Action computer simulation, student teams have the
opportunity to take their new knowledge about the banking industry and compete to
become the “most profitable bank.”

Following participation in the program, students will be able to:

Understand key concepts about how banks operate.

Recognize the features of banking products and services so they, as consumers,
can take advantage of them.

Describe and evaluate potential career opportunities in banking.

About Our Sponsor

The relationship between Citigroup Foundation and JA Worldwide spans more than 25
years. During this time, Citigroup Foundation has partnered with JA Worldwide globally
in a number of ways – with special support and attention given to JA Banks in Action.

Today, Citigroup Foundation works with JA Worldwide in 48 countries across four

continents. Nearly 2,000 Citigroup employees serve as Junior Achievement volunteers in

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classrooms all over the world, reaching close to 168,000 students annually. Support of JA
Worldwide is part of Citigroup Foundation’s 10-year $200 million global commitment to
financial education. The work JA Worldwide and Citigroup Foundation do together,
teaching JA students around the globe important economic concepts, entrepreneurship
skills, and how to make sound financial decisions, will impact not only the future of
today’s youth, but generations to come.

Technology Requirements
The nature of the JA Banks in Action computer simulation (simulation) requires teachers
and volunteers to work differently than they might with more traditional JA programs. If
a computer lab is available, the simulation can be completed in a shorter time frame.
Classes with access to only one computer can certainly benefit from the simulation
experience; however, the teacher may need to be more creative in scheduling its
implementation.

The simulation has minimum technology requirements. If these requirements are not
met, the program will not perform as expected. All participants should confirm that they
meet these minimum requirements before beginning the program.

Browser requirements:
The following browsers have been tested and work with the simulation:

Windows:
Firefox 1
Netscape 4.7 and 6
Internet Explorer 5, 5.5 and 6
AOL 7 and 8
Flash 7 Plug-in

Macintosh:
Safari
Netscape 4.7 and 6
Internet Explorer 5
AOL 7 and 8
Flash 7 Plug-in

Screen Resolution
The simulation is designed and optimized for a 800 X 600 screen resolution.

Help Desk Information

In the event problems with the simulation arise, assistance can be obtained from the JA
Worldwide Help Desk. Help Desk service is available from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mountain
Time, Monday through Friday. The Help Desk staff can be reached by calling
1.866.528.4826.

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Online Training

Getting Started: Area Administrator Guide

The following section is designed to guide you through the process of setting up a school and
teacher in JA Banks in Action. This allows you to access the system and create classes and
banks for their students.
1. Point your browser to http://banks.ja.org.
2. Enter your username and password and click the Sign In button. Username and password
ARE case sensitive, so be sure you enter them accurately!

3. Once you’ve signed in, you are at your personal Home Page on the system where you can
access the simulation. From your home screen, click the area link to access the area
administrative screen.

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4. The first step in the process is to create a school within the system. If you’re not on the
Schools tab, click that, then click the New School button.

5. Fill in all the information for the school, then click the Finish button if you have only one
school to set-up or the Setup Another button if you have to set-up additional schools.

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6. Once you click Finish, you are automatically carried to the school screen. Click the
Teachers tab, then click the New Teacher button. If you click Setup Another, you will be
taken to the New School screen again.

7. In “Step 1 of 2,” enter the teacher’s first name in the first box, and his or her last name in
the second box on the screen. Then click the Continue button.

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8. On the page title “School Name – New Teacher Step 2 of 2,” enter the teacher’s
information. User names and passwords ARE case sensitive. Once all information is
entered, click the Finish button if you have only one teacher to set-up or the or Setup
Another button if you have to set-up additional teachers.

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9. If you clicked Finish, you’ll be looking at your teacher’s administrative page (the teacher
equivalent to your Area Administrator page that you were viewing in steps 4 and 5). To
return to your administrative page, click your area’s name on the navigation bar just
above the teacher information and you’re ready to set up another school or teacher using
the same steps above. If you clicked Setup Another, you will be taken back to the “Step 1
of 2” screen. Teachers entered into the system will always be associated with a single
school and will be listed under that school.

10. The next step in the process is to create a class within the system. If you’re not on the
Classes tab, click it, and then click the New Class button. When you click the New Class
button, the system will check for an available unassigned license to use. DO NOT setup
a class without prior coordination with your local JA Area Office to make sure they have
a license available for you!

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11. Fill in all the information for the class, and then click the Finish or Setup Another button.
If you click Setup Another, you’ll get a New Class screen.

12. Once you click Finish, you are automatically carried over to the student teams screen.
Click the Student Teams tab, and then click the New Student Team button to begin
entering student teams. At this point the Student team creation could be left up to the
teacher that was created for the class or the Area Admin may proceed.

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13. To create a volunteer within your area from your Area Administrator home page, click
the Users tab, then click the New Volunteer button. You’ll be presented with a screen
like the New Teacher screen to enter all the volunteer’s information and create a
username and password for him or her. Once the username and password are created
they’ll show up on the list of users for the local area. Volunteers may be involved in any
school within your area and can view and participate in classes at any school within your
area

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Setting Up Teams: Teacher Guide
The following section guides you through the process of setting up a class and creating
student teams. This section is designed for teachers.

1. Using your browser, connect to http://banks.ja.org.

2. Enter your username and password supplied by your local JA Area Office and click the
Sign In button. User names and passwords ARE case sensitive, so be sure you enter them
accurately!
3. Once you’ve signed in, you are at your personal Home Page on the system where you can
access classes, current games, and email options for students in any current classes. To
access this page from anywhere on the site, click the My Account button.
4. There is help documentation on the right side of most pages to help you move through
each screen. For more detailed help click on the Help button.

5. Select the class link of your choice, you are automatically carried over to the student
teams screen. Click the Student Teams tab, and then click the New Student Team button
to begin entering student teams.

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6. In Step 1 of 2, enter the team name and click on the Continue button.

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7. In Step 2 of 2, complete the team information and click Finish or Setup Another.
Remember that when you create their username and password that they ARE case
sensitive.

8. Once you click Finish, you’ll be looking at the student team’s administrative page. Click
the class name in the navigation bar just above the student team information and you’re
ready to set up another student team by using the same steps above, or you can create a
game.

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Setting up a Game: Teacher and Volunteer Guide

The following section guides you through the process of setting up a game for your students.

1. Using your browser, connect to http://banks.ja.org.

2. Enter your username and password supplied by your local JA Area Office and click the
Sign In button. User names and passwords ARE case sensitive, so be sure you enter them
accurately!
3. Once you’ve signed in, you are at your personal Home Page on the system where you can
access classes and current games for students in any current classes. To access this page
from anywhere on the site click the My Account button.
4. There is help documentation on the right side of most pages to help you move through
each screen. For more detailed help click on the Help button.

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5. Teachers: To set up a new game, click the class for which you want to create a game.
Next, click the Games tab, and then click the New Game button.

Volunteers: To set up a new game, click the school in which the class is located, then
click the class that you want to create the game for. Next, click the Games tab, and then
click the New Game button.

6. Select all the desired game options and then click the finish button.

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7. You will then be instructed to add players to the game. The players or teams must have
been set up prior. You may add up to 8 players or teams to a game. When done, select
the done adding users button.

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8. Start the game by clicking Start Now, or edit information about the game by clicking
Edit.

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9. Once the game starts, you will see a Control and a Reports tab appear on this screen.
Clicking the Control tab will allow you to view how the simulation is progressing.
Reports will allow you to view and print the Bank and Industry reports for each bank
within the game.

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10. Once you click the Control tab, you’ll see this screen. The default view will give you
just the bare basic information about each bank team within the game. By clicking the
drop down list highlighted below, you can actually enter decisions for each bank team
(great for classrooms with only one computer) or just view their decisions. Hide Plans is
the default view that you see displayed below. View Plans allows you to see the
decisions that the students have entered, but not alter them. Edit Plans allows you to put
in decisions for each of the teams within the competition.

11. The reports tab provides the ability for printable reports

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General Information JA Banks in Action

Getting Started
The following are features found on the home page of the site about which all
participants should be aware:

1. JA Banks in Action Home: This button allows the user to replay the opening
animation or return to the opening screen.

2. Help: This button will display a pop-up menu of help categories and frequently
asked questions:
a. Glossary: Select this for a comprehensive list of terms and definitions used
throughout the program.
b. Strategy Guide: The strategy guide offers methods to help users make the
best decisions required to build a strong company. Information about the
individual decisions (pricing, promotion, marketing, R&D/capital
investment) can also be found in this section. Students, volunteers, and
teachers may find it useful to print the guide and use it as a reference.
c. Quick Start Guide: This guide is designed to walk users through game set
up, playing the game, and use of other game interfaces. Again, for those
who prefer references in hard copy, it may be helpful to print this guide.

3. Learn More: A summary of game background, as well as history about Junior

Achievement, is found in this section. This reference is useful in training teachers
and volunteers.

4. User Name/Password: If the user has already established a user name and
password, it is simply entered here. The user can select “sign in.” From there, the
user can select other options.

5. Forgot User Name and Password: Users will be given instructions on how to
access the program in the event they forget their password.

Program Features
After entering a user name and password, users see the “Welcome” screen. It is here that
the players have access to their account information, games, and the JA Forum.

1. My Account: Displays users’ name, area, and status. If users have participated
in practice sessions and games, these data are accessed here.

2. Sign Out: Selecting this button automatically logs out users.

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3. Help: Provides users access to the Help guide.

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4. Help: Displays a pop-up menu of various help categories, such as frequently
asked questions, glossary, and a quick start guide.

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 Quick Start Guide
This quick start guide will get your economic engine for JA Banks in Action up and
running. The Bank in Action interface lets you quickly see where your company stands
relative to its competitors, and makes inputting your company’s investment decisions
swift and easy. After you sign in at the login screen, you will see a screen with your
name at the top. This is your home page.

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Setting-up a Game
Step 1. Click New Practice Game. You’ll see the New Game setup window below.
Step 2. Select game settings.
Step 3. Click Finish.
Step 4. Click Submit Query.

Clicking on the Finish button after selecting your game settings will take you to a
confirmation screen displaying your selections. There are three buttons at the top right of
the confirmation screen. Click on Play to display a new browser window with a
countdown screen, followed by a window similar to the one below (settings-dependent).

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Playing a Game
Step 1. Read the advice by clicking through the Advice buttons.
Step 2. Change the values in the Plan box based on your understanding of the advice.
Step 3. Click Submit and your plan will be submitted for the quarter.
Step 4. Once a new quarter begins, you can see where you rank via the ranking window
to the left or you can get more detailed results under the Reports tab.

VIMs
You will periodically see Virtual Instant Messages (VIMS) appear onscreen. These will
give you information on relevant economic conditions or changes and/or game play
advice for your current situation. Read (and heed) the advice and click the red X at the
message’s top-right to get back to the game.

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Playing the Game

JA Banks in Action
1. Play: Selecting this button allows the user to confirm game settings and
parameters, and then begin the game.

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2. Play: Once the game begins, employees of the company share messages and
advice with the user. This information will help move the player along in a
successful game. Step-by-step instructions are easy to follow and make the
simulation run smoothly.

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Beginning Game Screen (continued)

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3. Video Instant Messenger: Once the game begins, users will receive messages from
company employees via the VIM (Video Instant Messenger). These messages can be
accessed throughout the simulation by selecting the envelope in the top right corner
of the screen.

1. Advice/Plan Tabs: Users may click the Plan tab, and then the Advice buttons on the
right-hand side of the screen for more advice and direction, or go straight to the game.
After reading the advice from company colleagues, the user designs a plan by making
decisions about price, production, marketing, capital investment, and research and
development. Once decisions are made, users select the “Submit Plan” button. The
“Advice” tabs will offer insight to the user after each round of play. Access the tabs to
get ideas on the best decisions. You can accept the advice by simply choosing the “do it”
button at the end of each message.

Plan/Advice Tabs

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)

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2. Once the plan is submitted and the quarter is brought to a close, the user will see a
screen with advice and emails. Users should consider the instructions and make
the next round of decisions. These messages are saved and can be accessed later,
if needed, by selecting the envelope in the top right corner of the screen.

3. After reading the messages and considering the advice, the user selects the Plan
tab again to view the screen and make the second round of decisions. Once this
tab is selected, the user has accessed more advice regarding what might improve
the business situation. The appearance of the person delivering the message will
give some indication of how the business is performing.

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4. Before submitting each decision, the user should also view the information found
in the tabs labeled Reports, Analysis, and Product. More helpful hints can be
found here and will provide direction to improving company performance.

Within each tab, the user can select options and variables to see further details.
Reports includes:
• Overview
• Units
• Dollars
• Productivity
• Economics

Sample Industry Overview Report

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Sample Credits and Savings Report

Sample Capacity Report

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Sample Rates Report

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Analysis includes information on
• Interest
• Funds
• Settlement
• Capacity
• Custom Graphs

Sample Interest Analysis

Sample Funds Analysis

Sample Settlement Analysis

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Sample Capacity

Sample Custom

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5. Users continue accessing advice, making decisions, and submitting plans through
the selected number of quarters.

6. Users may quit the game at anytime. The game will stop automatically once the
quarters have been played. When the game is over, several reports are available
to use in evaluating final performance.
• Rank shows players how they performed in relationship to other players.

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• Reports allows players to review performance for each quarter by industry
or company. The reports can be printed for further review.

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