Junior Achievement to Break Ground on New JA Discovery Center

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Junior Achievement of Oregon & SW Washington

Mar 31, 2023, 13:27 ET

PORTLAND, Ore., March 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Students from across the Northwest Regional Education Service District will have the opportunity for experiential learning about work readiness and personal finance at a new Junior Achievement program site that breaks ground in Hillsboro on April 4th.

The new JA Discovery Center will be the 44th in the nation, and it will be designed to deliver JA BizTown and JA Finance Park programs to 4th-12th grade students throughout Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook, and Washington Counties. The site will be built on the second floor of the Hillsboro Civic Center.

Rendering of new JA Discovery Center in Hillsboro

Local students attending a JA BizTown event

JA BizTown is an upper-elementary program that blends 12 hours of in-class learning with a one-day economic simulation within a replica of an American city. JA Finance Park is a financial literacy program designed for middle and high school students that teaches critical skills related to budgeting, money management and living within one's means.

Both programs have reached tens of thousands of Oregon students for over a decade and deliver highly interactive simulations that allow students to bridge the connection between concepts learned in the classroom and the skills they need to succeed in a career and in life. Junior Achievement is excited to expand program outreach and deliver hands-on experiences to more students.

"This project will transform JA-Oregon & SW Washington's ability to reach more students in even more impactful ways. We're going to have trades represented, professional careers represented. It's just a really realistic view for the students our region serves," said Director of Development, Priscilla Treviño. "The wonderful part about this is we are creating future leaders and continue to make a difference in the lives of students by opening their world to boundless possibilities."

Junior Achievement is partnering with local businesses to sponsor storefronts in the model town.

"A solid knowledge of financial basics and money management is critical for young people as they identify their short and long-term goals," said Rob Stuart, President and CEO, OnPoint Community Credit Union. "We're thrilled to sponsor Junior Achievement's new facility to share this knowledge with more students in our community."

Event details:

Date: Tuesday, April 4^th at 11:00am
Where: 120 E Main Street, Hillsboro, OR 97123

About Junior Achievement of Oregon & SW Washington
Junior Achievement inspires and prepares young people to succeed in a global economy through hands-on programs that promote work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. Established locally in 1950, Junior Achievement of Oregon and SW Washington (JA) is an affiliate of Junior Achievement USA, which has worked for over a century to provide economic and financial education for K-12 students. This school year, with the help of more than 4,000 volunteers, JA will serve over 35,000 students in Oregon and SW Washington.

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SOURCE Junior Achievement of Oregon & SW Washington