Junior Achievement and Georgia Southern University Developing Historic Partnership in Savannah
Fifth JA Discovery Center Planned for Georgia Southern University’s Armstrong campus
Savannah, GA – Junior Achievement of Georgia (JA) is collaborating with Georgia Southern University to plan the construction and launch of a JA Discovery Center on the Armstrong campus in Savannah.
“We are so excited to be deepening our impact in the Savannah area and are looking forward to growing our relationship with Georgia Southern University,” said Camille Russo, Vice President, Marketing, JA of Georgia. “We are grateful to the local Savannah community for decades of support and are thrilled with the possibility of bringing this innovative and engaging experience to the students of the region.”
Retrofitting construction of the Student Recreation Center is anticipated to begin as soon as Fall 2020. Space can be made available for the JA Discovery Center in Savannah to serve 15,000 middle school students annually in the coastal region of the state.
Outfitting the space to become a Discovery Center will require financial support of approximately $4 million, funded from an up-and-coming campaign. The project will also require approval by the University System of Georgia and the Board of Regents.
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.
“We are excited about the potential collaboration with Junior Achievement and the concept of a Discovery Center on Georgia Southern's Armstrong Campus in Savannah,” said Georgia Southern President Kyle Marrero. “This project aligns with our mission, values, and strategic plan. It will also provide experiential and employment opportunities for our Armstrong students and help make the Armstrong Campus a destination for the region. This is exactly the type of impactful relationship that evidences the value added of a collaborative approach to educational attainment and talent development."
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 Robert Grant at 912-856-1700 or rgrant@georgia.ja.org.
About Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/R2 institution founded in 1906, offers 141 degree programs serving more than 26,000 students through nine colleges on three campuses in Statesboro, Savannah, Hinesville and online instruction. A leader in higher education in southeast Georgia, the University provides a diverse student population with expert faculty, world-class scholarship and hands-on learning opportunities. Georgia Southern creates lifelong learners who serve as responsible scholars, leaders and stewards in their communities. Visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu.
Local Business Leaders to be Honored for Achievements and Contributions to Atlanta Business Community
Tyler Perry and Jeffrey Sprecher will join the prestigious group of individuals previously inducted into the
JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame
Tyler Perry
Actor, Filmmaker, Philanthropist and Owner of Tyler Perry Studios
Jeffrey Sprecher
Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Intercontinental Exchange, and Chairman, New York Stock Exchange
ATLANTA– Junior Achievement (JA) of Georgia and Atlanta Business Chronicle are pleased to announce that Tyler Perry, Actor, Filmmaker, Philanthropist, and Owner of Tyler Perry Studios, and Jeffrey Sprecher, Founder, Chairman and CEO, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) and Chairman, New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) will be inducted into the JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame on Saturday, February 22, 2020. They will join the group of 95 influential Atlantans recognized for their significant contributions to Atlanta’s economic and civic vibrancy.
Celebrating its 31st year, the JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame, a black-tie gala to benefit JA of Georgia, is held to honor dynamic business and civic leaders who have shaped Atlanta into the robust city it is today.
Following his humble beginning in New Orleans, Tyler Perry’s media, entertainment and philanthropic persona has become synonymous with the Atlanta community since the founding of Tyler Perry Studios in 2006. The mastermind behind over 20 feature films, two dozen stage plays, nine television shows and two New York Times bestselling books, Perry has built an empire that has attracted audiences and built communities, from his studio’s home base in Atlanta and throughout the world. Celebrated “among the pantheon of today’s greatest cinematic innovators,” his unique blend of spiritual hope and down-home humor continues to shape his inspiring life story, connecting with fans across the globe. Perry’s impact on the economic landscape and overall well-being of Atlanta has only begun and will be felt for generations to come.
Jeffrey Sprecher first arrived here in 1997 from California, where he was an entrepreneur in the power industry, and acquired the Atlanta-based Continental Power Exchange to build a new market operator. Sprecher and a small team launched Intercontinental Exchange in 2000, which has evolved from an energy market to an operator of more than a dozen exchanges and global market infrastructure, including the New York Stock Exchange, and has a market capitalization of over $50 billion today. In addition to notable acquisitions and growth within the Fortune 500 Company, Sprecher has been continually recognized for his outstanding leadership and impact from the Wall Street Journal and Fortune, and has been on Barron’s list of 30 World’s Best CEOs since 2014. Sprecher previously served as Chairman of the Metro Atlanta Chamber and currently serves on its Executive Committee, is a University of Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation Trustee, and is on the Board of Directors of the Buckhead Coalition, The Commerce Club, Atlanta Committee for Progress and Engage Ventures.
The JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame will feature a cocktail reception, silent auction, seated dinner and Laureate Induction Ceremony. The 2020 gala will be held at the InterContinental Hotel in Buckhead. Proceeds from the event will benefit JA of Georgia and its efforts to empower the next generation to build a better future for themselves and their community. To learn more, click here.