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JA Finance Park

Junior Achievement of the Heartland is proud to be the first JA chapter in the country to bring JA Finance Park to area middle grade students. At the culmination of this six-week in-school curriculum, students visit JA Finance Park, located at the JA World in downtown Davenport, IA. During the visit, students have the opportunity to use these learned concepts to develop a budget and consider the many options available to them.

JA Finance Park provides a reality-based simulation for students, enabling them to build foundations for making intelligent and lifelong personal financial decisions. It helps students to develop a realistic understanding of economic issues they must deal with upon graduation from high school. During the 2004-2005 school year, more than 2,200 area students experience JA Finance Park.

This program:

  • Gives students the experience of developing personal budgets
  • Allows students to determine what expenditures are best suited for their salary level
  • Teaches the concept of paying bills to carry out appropriate transactions

To facilitate the simulation, JA Finance Park will focus on decisions about:

Banking
Studying bank services such as checking and savings accounts, loans, CDs and bank investments will provide students an opportunity to understand the complex and exciting world of banking.

Non-Profit
Students will have the option, if they so desire, to donate some of their net monthly income to a non-profit, community organization of choice.

Clothing
Students will make decisions concerning how much money they can afford to spend on clothing. Their options will necessitate including the clothing needs of their family as well as themselves.

Entertainment
Along with eating out, students will have options such at movies, concerts, or cable TV available to them for spending their entertainment dollars.

Food
Students will make decisions concerning monthly food purchases. They will learn how to plan a weekly menu to include healthy, nutritious foods. They will also be eating lunch during their day at JA Finance Park.

Furnishings
Students will make decisions concerning the furnishings they will buy for their home.

Health Care and Heath Maintenance
Students will have the opportunity to select a heath care plan that best meets the needs of their life situation.

Home Improvement
Students will study options available and will make further decisions concerning how to turn their house into a home. They will learn about the price of carpets, cabinets, paint, etc. These prospective do-it-yourselfers will develop a better understanding of the expenses involved in on-going home repairs.

Investment
Students will learn the difference among stocks, bonds and mutual funds. They will follow the performance of specific stocks during their day at JA Finance Park.

Real Estate
Students will find that a very large portion of their monthly income will need to go toward their housing. They will have several options available that will be within their income range and fit their life situation.

Print Shop
The options available for several of the JA Finance Park businesses will be printed and picked up at the print shop.

Transportation
Students will make decisions concerning the type of car to purchase as well as the costs involved for maintenance and insurance. It will soon become obvious that the car of their dreams is not always within their means.

Utilities
Students will make decisions about electric, phone, cable, and water services. Each decision will be closely tied to the students' housing choices and their family status.

Thank you to the following JA Finance Park Shop Sponsors:

Ashley Furniture
Bechtel Trusts & Foundation
Community Foundation of the Great River Bend
Jewel-Osco