JA BizTown®
JA BizTown gives students in fifth and sixth grade the opportunity to run a bank, manage a cafe, read utility meters, use debit cards, and even vote. Classroom materials have been created with teacher input and are provided by Junior Achievement, along with teacher training.
Curriculum
The JA BizTown curriculum aligns with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) by introducing basic business and economic concepts. Prior to attending, students will progress through 12 required teacher-taught classroom lessons covering the following concepts:
| Bank services and practices | Role of government in an economy | The role in a free market economy | Good and services | Taxes and payroll |
| Rights and responsibilities of citizenship | Applying for a job | Understanding price, profits and production | Exploring different careers (including STEM) | Philanthropy |
Attending JA BizTown
After completing the coursework, students will travel to the Gilbreath-Reed Career and Technical Center to participate in the day-long JA BizTown simulation. Throughout the day, students will have the opportunity to participate in the following real-world, experiential activities:
| Managing a business | Taking out a loan | Using a debit card | Earning a paycheck | Opening a savings account |
| Paying taxes | Buying goods, services, and health insurance | Voting | Problem Solving | Philanthropy/charity support or corporate social responsibility |
| Utilizing STEM skills | Working as a team | Goal setting | Complete a career assessment |
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After the visit, students will participate in a final debriefing lesson where they reflect on their experience and further identify the relevance of classroom learning to their future goals.
Volunteer Opportunities
Junior Achievement of Dallas relies on local volunteers to help make our programs successful. By guiding fifth and sixth graders through the simulation, volunteers empower students to gain new insights and make the most out of this unique experience If you are interested in volunteering, please contact volunteer@jadallas.org.
Partnerships
To help bring JA BizTown to life, we are partnering with several businesses and community groups. Current partnerships include American Airlines, AT&T, Atmos, Wells Fargo, SMU, Toyota, and the cities of Garland Rowlett and Sachse just to name a few. If your company, nonprofit, or government entity is interested in partnering with the program, please contact info@jadallas.org.
Additional Information
If you have any additional questions or concerns regarding the JA BizTown program, please contact jabiztown@jadallas.org.
| Pillars of Student Success | Entrepreneurship: | Financial-Literacy: | Work-Readiness: |
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| Program Implementation | Program Grade-Level |
|---|---|
| JA-Capstone | Middle School |
| Program Concepts | Program Skills |
|---|---|