Program introduces world of work | delmarvanow.com | The Daily Times

Program introduces world of work

By Deborah Gates • Staff Writer • September 5, 2010

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SALISBURY -- An Easton property owner has offered Junior Achievement a 20,00 square-foot building to build a city -- with a bank, insurance company, city hall, and other obvious institutions of commerce.

All jobs, decision-makers and consumers will be schoolchildren, giving them a leg up in the business world.

The nonprofit agency works to link businesses, educators and volunteers through partnerships that teach work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. A hands-on, experiential program called JA World, as the proposed city is known, teaches young people about the business world.

Projects are underway at 38 locations throughout Junior Achievement USA, including Wilmington, Baltimore and Washington, and as soon as there is a suitable location, a JA World will launch one on the Eastern Shore.

"We're looking in different cities; we haven't found the perfect size. This will be a very large facility with a tall ceiling -- an actual city," said Jayme Weeg, president of Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore, headquartered in Salisbury. "Students will get to live the life of an adult at least one day."

JA World is a fully interactive simulated town facility with opportunities for students of different ages to function in adult career and community role. BizTown is a practical field outing for elementary students, and JA Finance Park is an infrastructure targeting middle-grades.

The local simulated city will include up to 20 businesses where students can function in settings as restaurants, check-cashing entities and lending institutions, and challenge themselves on decisions as whether to borrow, as well as whether to lend. The challenge makes students more competitive.

At least 6,000 fifth- through- ninth-grade students throughout the region are expected to participate and role-play a variety of functions. Students in six counties -- Caroline, Dorchester, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester -- would participate. The project has endorsements education leaders including John Fredericksen, superintendent of schools in Wicomico, and a member of the local Junior Achievement board of directors.

"Why not us? Our kids need to be competitive," Weeg said. "We don't have one on the Eastern Shore. We have one of the toughest standards of living on the Eastern Shore -- we're one of the poorest counties (in the state) right here."

The local program is weighing all options on a location, and hasn't decided on whether to accept the Easton offer, Weeg said. The JA World could take up to five years to build out -- but worth the time and investment.

"We will build windows, floors, an actual city street," she said. "What we build will allow students to gain hands-on financial literacy and entrepreneurship experience. They will leave with an understanding of what the real world is like."

dgates@dmg.gannett.com

410-845-4641

via delmarvanow.com

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