The decision provides space on the Hammond Creek Middle School campus for a JA Discovery Center to serve local students
Exterior view of the JA Discovery Center of Greater Dalton
Floor plan for the JA Discovery Center of Greater Dalton
Dalton, GA – Junior Achievement of Georgia (JA) announced today, in partnership with Dalton Public Schools, the unanimous approval by the Dalton Board of Education to incorporate a JA Discovery Center on the new Hammond Creek Middle School campus.
“We are thrilled with the decision of the Board that will allow us to deepen our impact in the Northwest Georgia region,” said John Hancock, President and CEO, JA of Georgia. “We are thankful for the commitment of the local community, led by Anna Adamson, Director of Development for JA of Georgia in Northwest Georgia, and look forward to providing unmatched learning experiences that enable students to discover the possibilities that their futures can hold.”
With a completion planned in conjunction with the Hammond Creek Middle School campus in 2021, the JA Discovery Center in Dalton will serve 13,000 middle school students annually in the northwestern region of the state. The facility will provide students continued exposure to their future possibilities through two innovative programs.
JA BizTown creates an unmatched experience where students are able to 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 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.
“Having the availability of this center locally will provide enormous opportunities and access for our staff and students to have authentic, real-world learning experiences that are applicable to a number of academic subjects,” said Dr. Tim Scott, Superintendent, Dalton Public Schools. “Beyond our schools, we know this center will be available for use in professional development, parent education and community involvement.”
The construction of the facility is possible through a joint partnership with JA, as a result of a private grant and Dalton Board of Education’s commitment of capital financial resources that will not require any additional taxes. The private grant coupled with the funds from Dalton Public Schools will support completion of the fourth JA Discovery Center in Georgia, bringing the total state-wide impact to more than 98,000 students a year.
In partnership with the education and business communities, 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 give a third of Georgia middle school students access to the breadth of careers available to them, and the skills needed to be successful in those careers.