Colonial Group commits $2 million in funding for the development of the JA Colonial Group Discovery Center of Savannah

Savannah, GA – Junior Achievement of Georgia (JA) is proud to announce a contribution from Colonial Group of $2 million to the capital campaign of the JA Colonial Group Discovery Center of Savannah. As the lead sponsor, their commitment will fund the renovation and launch of the facility on the Armstrong campus.

“We are so thrilled to be receiving this support from our longtime partner Colonial Group,” said Camille Russo, Vice President, Marketing, JA of Georgia. “They have been an integral part of JA’s impact in Savannah for decades, and this facility will enable us to expand our reach into the region and give 150 students per day invaluable experiences for years to come.”  

Colonial Group was involved in bringing JA to Savannah nearly 30 years ago, and they are a huge supporter of financial education. They have been the title sponsor of the annual Savannah Business Hall of Fame since its inception 21 years ago.

“We are thrilled to offer our support and strengthen our partnership with JA. We realize how important it is to instill the values and principles that Junior Achievement offers to the youth of our community, and we are excited to see the impact that the JA Discovery Center will have in furthering that effort,” said Rob Demere, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Colonial Group.

The outfitting of the space has received approval by the University System of Georgia and the Board of Regents. The Colonial Group’s gift catalyzed the capital campaign for the facility, which will total approximately $3.8 million in financial support.

The facility will provide students continued exposure to their future possibilities through two innovative programs:

JA BizTown creates an unmatched experience where 6th grade students can interact within a simulated economy and take on the challenge of fueling a business. Here, students not only discover the intricacies of being a professional and member of the community, but also realize the abundance of opportunities available within their city.

JA Finance Park provides 7th grade students the rare opportunity to experience their personal financial futures first-hand. Guided by an assigned ‘life situation,’ students participate in an immersive simulation that enables them to develop skills to successfully navigate today’s complex economic environment and discover how decisions today can impact tomorrow.

Currently JA Discovery Centers serve more than 88,000 students a year across three locations - the JA Chick-fil-A Foundation Discovery Center in Altanta, the JA Discovery Center at Gwinnett and the Mike and Lynn Cottrell JA Discovery Center at North Georgia in Cumming. The fourth facility, in Dalton, is under construction and will open in 2021, bringing the total impact to more than a third of middle school students in Georgia.