JA Finance Park
JA Finance Park™ is an interactive program for students, 8th grade through high school, that facilitates personal financial responsibility. This learning experience, similar in format to JA BizTown™, acquaints students with basic financial planning concepts and gives them an opportunity to apply their understanding in a simulated "life scenario". To prepare for this learning lab, students begin with four to six weeks of classroom study followed by a visit to JA Finance Park.
The goal for each student during their day at JA Finance Park is to manage their own portfolio. Each student is randomly given a portfolio upon arrival that includes: marital status, annual income, number of children, education, and job/career background. Upon receiving their portfolio, they compute their personal net monthly income and begin to prepare a budget, which includes stock investment opportunities. Students must then visit the vendor of Finance Park for their needs, such as: housing, insurance, transportation, food, furniture, and others.
