Junior Achievement of Georgia Breaks Ground on New JA Colonial Group Discovery Center of Savannah

Facility to impact 15,000 Coastal Empire students annually in partnership with local companies and school districts

Savannah, GA – Junior Achievement (JA) of Georgia ceremoniously broke ground on the new JA Colonial Group Discovery Center of Savannah on Friday, February 19. The event signified the start of the renovation and retrofitting of 25,000 square feet of space on Georgia Southern University’s Armstrong campus. Together with presenting partners Colonial Oil, Inc. and Georgia Southern University, JA welcomed supporters and partners for a look at the existing space and how it will evolve in the coming months to begin serving students this fall.

“It’s this space that’s going to transform the lives of 15,000 middle school students a year throughout the whole costal region,” said Camille Russo, Vice President, Marketing, JA of Georgia. “It’s going to transform them by exposing and immersing them in financial literacy, entrepreneurship and career readiness, and by allowing them to really experience what their future could look like.”

 JA Discovery Centers blend key components of education to create state-of-the-art learning facilities where students apply concepts they learn in the classroom in a 360-degree authentic and experiential experience. Upon arrival students become a part of a simulated version of their hometown within the JA BizTown® and JA Finance Park® programs. Then students work alongside their peers and adult volunteers as they develop a greater understanding of financial concepts, build 21st century skills, and foster their entrepreneurial spirit.

 “There is tremendous alignment between the missions of our organizations,” said Dr. Kyle Marrero, President, Georgia Southern University. “This gives us the opportunity to work every day for the betterment of our own organizations, but also to develop the next generation of leaders who will shape our communities, inspire innovation, create solutions and impact countless others.”

 The facility will have representation from various local and national businesses –Georgia United Credit Union, Publix, South State Bank, Thomas & Hutton, and United Way of the Coastal Empire have committed to date – that will provide students a glimpse into possible career paths, as well as an opportunity to be an employee of the business for the day.

 “We’ve been avid supporters of JA’s mission over the years, due in large part to the alignment of our missions,” said Christian Demere, CEO, Colonial Group, Inc. “I think the businesses in Savannah are beneficiaries of their work with our students because these are the people that will become the employees, leaders and contributors in our community. We are very excited for this opportunity to further that mission and strengthen the foundation JA is cultivating in our youth.”

 Currently JA Discovery Centers serve more than 88,000 students a year across three locations - the JA Chick-fil-A Foundation Discovery Center in Altanta, the JA Discovery Center at Gwinnett and the Mike and Lynn Cottrell JA Discovery Center at North Georgia in Cumming. The fourth facility, in Dalton, is under construction and will open in 2021, bringing the total impact to more than a third of middle school students in Georgia.

 To find out more about getting involved, please contact Camille Russo at crusso@georgia.ja.org or 912-344-5440.

Colonial Group Invests as Lead Sponsor of New JA Discovery Center in Savannah

Colonial Group commits $2 million in funding for the development of the JA Colonial Group Discovery Center of Savannah

Savannah, GA – Junior Achievement of Georgia (JA) is proud to announce a contribution from Colonial Group of $2 million to the capital campaign of the JA Colonial Group Discovery Center of Savannah. As the lead sponsor, their commitment will fund the renovation and launch of the facility on the Armstrong campus.

“We are so thrilled to be receiving this support from our longtime partner Colonial Group,” said Camille Russo, Vice President, Marketing, JA of Georgia. “They have been an integral part of JA’s impact in Savannah for decades, and this facility will enable us to expand our reach into the region and give 150 students per day invaluable experiences for years to come.”  

Colonial Group was involved in bringing JA to Savannah nearly 30 years ago, and they are a huge supporter of financial education. They have been the title sponsor of the annual Savannah Business Hall of Fame since its inception 21 years ago.

“We are thrilled to offer our support and strengthen our partnership with JA. We realize how important it is to instill the values and principles that Junior Achievement offers to the youth of our community, and we are excited to see the impact that the JA Discovery Center will have in furthering that effort,” said Rob Demere, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Colonial Group.

The outfitting of the space has received approval by the University System of Georgia and the Board of Regents. The Colonial Group’s gift catalyzed the capital campaign for the facility, which will total approximately $3.8 million in financial support.

The facility will provide students continued exposure to their future possibilities through two innovative programs:

JA BizTown creates an unmatched experience where 6th grade students can interact within a simulated economy and take on the challenge of fueling a business. Here, students not only discover the intricacies of being a professional and member of the community, but also realize the abundance of opportunities available within their city.

JA Finance Park provides 7th grade students the rare opportunity to experience their personal financial futures first-hand. Guided by an assigned ‘life situation,’ students participate in an immersive simulation that enables them to develop skills to successfully navigate today’s complex economic environment and discover how decisions today can impact tomorrow.

Currently JA Discovery Centers serve more than 88,000 students a year across three locations - the JA Chick-fil-A Foundation Discovery Center in Altanta, the JA Discovery Center at Gwinnett and the Mike and Lynn Cottrell JA Discovery Center at North Georgia in Cumming. The fourth facility, in Dalton, is under construction and will open in 2021, bringing the total impact to more than a third of middle school students in Georgia.

JA Discovery Centers hit five-year milestone

Two hundred seventy-two thousand. That’s the number of Georgia students that the JA Discovery Centers have served in their first five years.

In 2013, opening a JA BizTown and JA Finance Park was not a completely new idea – there were more than a dozen across the country. But building a truly authentic experience, one that would grow, flourish and evolve in lockstep with our city, was. Especially one that was so focused on reflecting the real world; to offer students something immersive, authentic and experiential that had potential to energize them around their academics and their futures.

The vision for this began with the JA of Georgia Board, and a catalytic investment from the Chick-fil-A Foundation that allowed the conversation with other local partners to begin. That vision and dedication spearheaded the compelling momentum that continues to propel the JA of Georgia mission five years later.

From the opening of the JA Chick-fil-A Foundation Discovery Center, it became evident that JA BizTown and JA Finance Park were providing far more than a supplementary opportunity for students. The time spent preparing for their experience during class, coupled with the 360-degree, hands-on learning that happens within space has led to notable and lasting outcomes.

As the results and reactions began rolling in, so did the demand to extend the opportunity to more students. In 2015, we launched the JA Discovery Center at Gwinnett, and in 2018 added our first hybrid facility, extending our impact into North Georgia through the Mike & Lynn Cottrell JA Discovery Center at North Georgia.

The success of these innovative programs hinges on the collaboration between the business and education communities.

Businesses who activate within our spaces bring an authenticity that breaks through the noise for students. While they’re working and budgeting throughout the simulations, they are making connections to their day-to-day life. From specific positions at companies, to entire industries, students get a hands-on look at the myriad of possibilities that exist in their own communities and across the globe.

Partnerships with the education community are integral to the success of the programs. By working together with school system leaders, we are able to ensure consistency from the delivery of the in-class curriculum to the experience on-site. After seeing connections and ah-ha moments during the simulations, teachers often state that they are motivated to incorporate more real-world connectivity and authenticity in their own teaching. They are driven to engage their students in day-to-day learning and help them understand how and why their lessons matter in life beyond the classroom walls.

The most phenomenal part of hitting this five-year milestone is that the impact has only just begun.

The facilities, programs, staff, partners, and volunteers haven’t become stagnant over the course of these foundational years. Instead, there’s been more innovation and growth across regions and relationships that are continuing to drive the impact that’s possible.

Over the past year there have been significant investments from legacy partners, as well as new companies, that have substantiated the results and potential of JA Discovery Centers.

Five years, 272,000 students and 100% commitment from the business community to inspiring and preparing our students. As our communities and the broader economic landscape have evolved, so have the JA Discovery Centers. An exciting example of that evolution: WestRock Foundation recently took on the title of presenting sponsor of JA BizTown, and Mercedes-Benz USA and The Home Depot became storefront partners.

Unveiling of JA BizTown presented by WestRock Foundation

The Mike & Lynn Cottrell JA Discovery Center at North Georgia - Photo Credit: Rank Studios

These monumental new commitments, combined with long-standing partnerships, are testaments to the power that learning can have when it is hands-on, authentically connected to the real world, and exposing students to new ideas. It’s evidence that these strategic partnerships continue to create value for our students, and more importantly that we all play an integral part in it.

The impact of the JA Discovery Centers is only beginning, and we can’t wait to see where the next five years takes us.