JA Discovery Centers hit five-year milestone

Two hundred seventy-two thousand. That’s the number of Georgia students that the JA Discovery Centers have served in their first five years.

In 2013, opening a JA BizTown and JA Finance Park was not a completely new idea – there were more than a dozen across the country. But building a truly authentic experience, one that would grow, flourish and evolve in lockstep with our city, was. Especially one that was so focused on reflecting the real world; to offer students something immersive, authentic and experiential that had potential to energize them around their academics and their futures.

The vision for this began with the JA of Georgia Board, and a catalytic investment from the Chick-fil-A Foundation that allowed the conversation with other local partners to begin. That vision and dedication spearheaded the compelling momentum that continues to propel the JA of Georgia mission five years later.

From the opening of the JA Chick-fil-A Foundation Discovery Center, it became evident that JA BizTown and JA Finance Park were providing far more than a supplementary opportunity for students. The time spent preparing for their experience during class, coupled with the 360-degree, hands-on learning that happens within space has led to notable and lasting outcomes.

As the results and reactions began rolling in, so did the demand to extend the opportunity to more students. In 2015, we launched the JA Discovery Center at Gwinnett, and in 2018 added our first hybrid facility, extending our impact into North Georgia through the Mike & Lynn Cottrell JA Discovery Center at North Georgia.

The success of these innovative programs hinges on the collaboration between the business and education communities.

Businesses who activate within our spaces bring an authenticity that breaks through the noise for students. While they’re working and budgeting throughout the simulations, they are making connections to their day-to-day life. From specific positions at companies, to entire industries, students get a hands-on look at the myriad of possibilities that exist in their own communities and across the globe.

Partnerships with the education community are integral to the success of the programs. By working together with school system leaders, we are able to ensure consistency from the delivery of the in-class curriculum to the experience on-site. After seeing connections and ah-ha moments during the simulations, teachers often state that they are motivated to incorporate more real-world connectivity and authenticity in their own teaching. They are driven to engage their students in day-to-day learning and help them understand how and why their lessons matter in life beyond the classroom walls.

The most phenomenal part of hitting this five-year milestone is that the impact has only just begun.

The facilities, programs, staff, partners, and volunteers haven’t become stagnant over the course of these foundational years. Instead, there’s been more innovation and growth across regions and relationships that are continuing to drive the impact that’s possible.

Over the past year there have been significant investments from legacy partners, as well as new companies, that have substantiated the results and potential of JA Discovery Centers.

Five years, 272,000 students and 100% commitment from the business community to inspiring and preparing our students. As our communities and the broader economic landscape have evolved, so have the JA Discovery Centers. An exciting example of that evolution: WestRock Foundation recently took on the title of presenting sponsor of JA BizTown, and Mercedes-Benz USA and The Home Depot became storefront partners.

Unveiling of JA BizTown presented by WestRock Foundation

The Mike & Lynn Cottrell JA Discovery Center at North Georgia - Photo Credit: Rank Studios

These monumental new commitments, combined with long-standing partnerships, are testaments to the power that learning can have when it is hands-on, authentically connected to the real world, and exposing students to new ideas. It’s evidence that these strategic partnerships continue to create value for our students, and more importantly that we all play an integral part in it.

The impact of the JA Discovery Centers is only beginning, and we can’t wait to see where the next five years takes us.

Frank Blake and Dan. T Cathy to join JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame

Junior Achievement (JA) of Georgia and Atlanta Business Chronicle (ABC) are pleased to announce Frank Blake, Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Home Depot, and Dan T. Cathy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Chick-fil-A Inc., will be inducted into the JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame on Saturday, February 24, 2018. They will join the list of 91 influential Atlantans recognized for their significant contributions to Atlanta’s civic and economic vibrancy.

Since 1989, the JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame, a black-tie gala to benefit JA of Georgia, has been held to honor dynamic business and civic leaders who have shaped Atlanta into the robust city it is today.

Frank Blake’s tenure at The Home Depot began in 2002, and shortly thereafter he found himself, like many other leaders, guiding a large company through the worst recession in decades. He dedicated hours and capital back to the basics of any business: his employees and the products they sold. These ended up being the investments that helped bring The Home Depot out of the recession at an even better position than before it. Prior to being Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Home Depot during those tumultuous years, Blake served extensively in the public sector. Blake obtained his bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, and his jurisprudence degree from Columbia University School of Law, then spent time as the general counsel for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the deputy counsel to Vice President George Bush, and law clerk to Justice Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court. Today, Blake is involved with many companies and organizations, including the Georgia Aquarium, Proctor & Gamble, Macy’s, Grady Hospital and Agnes Scott College.

As CEO of one of the nation's largest family owned businesses, Dan Cathy represents the next generation of leadership for Chick-fil-A, the Atlanta-based fast-food chicken restaurant chain founded by his father, S. Truett Cathy. Dan has been defining his role in “customer service” for more than 40 years – even before officially joining Chick-fil-A in 1970. Eager to incorporate his own skills and talents into the business, Dan has taken an unconventional, yet personally and professionally rewarding approach to leadership. Under his leadership, Chick-fil-A has experienced tremendous growth — not just in numbers of restaurants and sales, but also geographically with explorations into international expansion. At home, Cathy is first and foremost a family man. He and his wife Rhonda enjoy time with their two adult sons and three grandchildren. As a musician, pilot, avid runner, road cyclist and motorcyclist, Dan is always looking for the next opportunity to share a “REMARK”able experience with friends, family, and customers.

The JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame will feature a cocktail reception, silent auction, seated dinner and Laureate Induction Ceremony. This year’s gala will be held at the InterContinental Hotel in Buckhead. Proceeds from the event will benefit JA of Georgia and their efforts to empower the next generation with the knowledge, capacity and motivation to thrive; to build a better future for themselves and their community. 

Publix Super Market Charities continue to support A of Georgia

Publix Super Markets Charities has given more than $31,000 in their partnership with Junior Achievement (JA) of Georgia this year, all in an effort to help empower the next generation. Publix Super Markets Charities has maintained a storefront sponsorship in JA Finance Park at the JA Chick-fil-A Foundation Discovery Center since 2013, as well as an additional storefront space in JA Finance Park presented by Assurant at the JA Discovery Center at Gwinnett, which opened in 2015. 

Their storefront offers middle school students an authentic environment where they experience their financial futures. Guided by their ‘life situation,’ students apply knowledge gained in the classroom to make routine budget decisions; ultimately, building skills to confidently navigate today’s economic environment and discovering how decisions today can impact tomorrow.

While at the Publix store, students make budgeting decisions around providing food for themselves and their families. Do they have enough room in the budget for fresh produce every week, or do they need to make compromises elsewhere to achieve a healthy diet? What is the cost difference in preparing meals at home versus eating meals out? These are just a few of the situations that volunteers help guide students through during their time in the Publix store. 

Publix Super Markets Charities’ support of JA’s learning solutions goes beyond their storefront sponsorships in the metro-Atlanta area. The grant funding supports learning solutions across multiple regions in the state, including the Southern Coastal, Northwest, Northeast and West Central Georgia areas, to help JA serve more than 172,000 students annually.