REGISTERED ACTIVITIES/EVENTS

GEW 2011

Elementary School Entrepreneurs- JA BizTown Program for At Risk Youth

Owings Mills, Maryland

15 November 2011-16 November 2011

Many at risk students feel lost in the educational process simply because they cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel- they fail to see how the basics in school have any benefit to them in real world. JA BizTown is the hands-on learning lab designed to meet these needs. The JA BizTown program addresses the students most at risk of not meeting the challenging academic standards and provides them with an enriching experience. JA BizTown is an experiential economic simulation that helps 4th - 6th grade students prepare for and become productive citizens in a 10,000-square-foot replica of an American city. This colorful and bustling town has its own retail stores, bank, newspaper, restaurant and city hall. A total of 14 enterprises are outfitted with modern office technology, equipment and supplies. The town serves as the venue for an instructional simulation that reinforces students, language arts, social studies, math, and technology skills by giving them real-life application. The program is a hands-on learning experience designed to improve knowledge and shape attitudes about the opportunities and responsibilities of a citizen in the American free enterprise system. Each day all students in the fifth grade from a different Title I at risk elementary school will be operating JA BizTown and running their businesses, meeting 2 payrolls and ultimately paying back their bank or venture capital loan at the end of the day. Each school will be mentored by 20 business role model volunteers.