Junior Achievement's BizTown is the culmination of classroom-based, teacher-led curriculum where students leave their classrooms for a simulated real-world experience at JA's experiential learning lab. Students learn about wants and needs, goods and services, the role of government, and how banks work. They elect their own Mayor and Judge, create their own laws, develop resumes and apply and interview for jobs at JA BizTown.
Financial education is not routinely taught in schools, and parents often do not feel confident enough about the topics of money management and personal finance to educate their children. Parents cannot teach their children what they do not know and are not encouraging them to seek more knowledge on their own. In fact, a recent Junior Achievement poll found that even during the recent economic downturn, only 39% of parents were having conversations with their teens about family finances.
Through daily in-class lessons and the hands-on activities and active participation at the simulated community of JA BizTown, students develop a strong understanding of the relationship between what they learn in school and their successful participation in a local economy. This learning experience establishes the financial literacy foundation upon which students can acquire and build upon the skills and attitudes necessary to succeed in our global economy.
JA teaches skills that will prepare students to live within their means, to understand personal banking, be better prepared to enter the workforce & recognize the opportunities available to them. JA helps students understand what they are learning in school will help prepare them for their lives as responsible adults.
