JA World BizTown & Finance Park

Imagine a city run by fifth graders. Imagine one of these young consumers rushing to the bank to deposit a paycheck after working a shift at a local retail store or another who works at the local newspaper frantically rushing to meet the story deadline before the paper goes to press. Imagine a fifth-grade mayor meeting with business leaders to discuss the current business climate. Now, imagine eighth-grade students immersed in the experience of creating and maintaining a budget for themselves and their families based on their salary. Imagine one student struggling with the decision to buy a home, comparing health care providers for the family and determining which auto insurance is needed for a new car.

Creating these experiences for students has been an on-going dream of Junior Achievement. Now, with JA World Auburn complete, we set our sights on Yakima. JA World Auburn opened its doors on November 16, 2004 and JA World Yakima is expected to be open to students and community members June 2011. JA is highly anticipating the state's second fun, educational, interactive, hands-on experience of the free enterprise system.

JA World is a new vision of teaching and learning about the American enterprise and entrepreneurial spirit. It is a dynamic, experiential learning practicum that incorporates both a hands-on and classroom curriculum approach that fully engages students in imagining and investigating their futures.

Tribal Leadership Experience

JA World in Auburn welcomed Puyallup and Muckleshoot tribal members in August. Students between the ages of 14-20 participated in this two week "camp". The per capita, which tribal members receive when they turn 18, was specifically targeted with respect to income, expenses and savings.

Those attending this Tribal Leadership Experience were impressed and excited by the concepts of investing, saving and budgeting the significant sum they will receive at a young age. Over the course of the two weeks, their curriculum at JA World included debit vs. credit, savings vs. investing, budgeting and all those taxes everyone has to come to expect.

The students loved being in JA Finance Park and found surprises every day. Cars, and the added insurance expense (coupled with credit ratings and its effect on insurance rates), was just one area where real life was introduced. Students earned money based on attendance. They were allowed to spend it on field trips to a bowling alley, movie theatre and paintball.

Everyone in attendance at the Leadership Experience received a t-shirt, daily planner, breakfast and lunch. Daily speakers included tribal council members, Human Resource executives and those from tribal services.