Junior Achievement's BizTown Opens Its Doors, Preps Next Generation For Business World
Junior Achievement's BizTown had its grand opening in South Fayette Township.
The simulation town hopes to help teach children the basics of business, budgeting, and community.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony early on Tuesday morning, just an hour before it officially opened its doors to the first class of young "citizens" at 9 a.m.
Inside the suite, a world of miniature storefronts opened up and constructed BizTown’s vision of a simulated town with real businesses representing themselves in miniscule form. The BizTown “infrastructure” was built as a pseudo-terrace with light posts featuring street names, sidewalks, fake grass, and even benches.
Lining the mini-district, two dozen businesses from around the western Pennsylvania area brought BizTown to life. 100.7 Star has a studio showcased in the corner of Leadership Lane where students to learn how to handle lifestyles as on-air talents and learn to sell advertising to sponsors.
Our studio shares the neighborhood with City Hall, FedEx Ground, Cochran, Koppers, Vector Security, Sheetz and more.
Numerous notable keynote speakers took the podium to express their excitement and well-wishes for BizTown’s grand opening.
The half dozen speakers included Dennis Daven the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Jason Ortitay the State Representative of the 46th District, Rich Fitzgerald the County Executive, Patrick Catena the City Council President of District 4 , Gwen Rodi the president of South Fayette Township Board of Commissioners, Matt Hansen the Principal at IKM, Sheryl Fleck the Principal at Claysville Elementary School, Mel Washington the Chief Risk Officer of TriState Capital Bank and JA Board Chairman, and Bill Flanagan the Chief Corporate Relations Officer for the Allegheny Conference on Community Development.
BizTown hopes to bring to light the details of community living and day-to-day life to children in fourth to sixth grade.
Junior Achievment’s curriculum is focusing on bringing the area industries to the forefront to make the experience authentic for the participating children as they navigate their town and interact with each other as they each maintain roles in the businesses.
Each student will get so much play money and learn how to value their "income" and how to handle business transactions with budgeting implications.
Some students will even get the opportunity to play the CEO of the businesses.
JA BizTown expects to bring 3,000 students through its doors in the first semester, and wants to usher in students from all over the western Pennsylvania areas.
