Memphis Downtowner January 2012 : Page 8
DISCOVERY901 Hallie Hogan In JA BizTown, a multi-week program offered by Junior Achievement, fifth-and sixth-graders rule the city and run its economy for one day, each kid tasked with meeting or exceeding all of his business responsibilities. by Jonathan Devin If kids ruled the world, restaurants would have free video game consoles at every table, and payday would be every day. Banks would offer a lifetime supply of bubble gum for opening an account, and fast-food workers would make more money than stockbrokers. Maybe, maybe not. Larry Colbert, CEO of Junior Achievement, says that when confronted with the realities of the business world, kids are often full of surprises when it comes to making responsible decisions and getting work done. The only problem is that many kids never have that opportunity until they’re out on their own. But then again, some do. In JA BizTown, a multi-week program offered by Junior Achievement to fifth-and sixth-graders, kids do rule the world — or at least a simulation of it. After five weeks of in-class prep work, 60 to 120 kids from schools across the Midsouth enter a mock city and run its economy for one day on the first floor of Junior Achievement’s Downtown office building. Their task is simple: successfully meet or exceed all of their business responsibilities, including filling out a bank loan application, devising a marketing and advertising strategy, turning a profit, and paying off the business loan by the end of the day. Call it “Occupy BizTown” without the tents, sleeping bags, and protesting. “Kids know that businesses are where you go to make money,” says Colbert, as Michael Jackson’s song “Beat It” pumps up through his office floor, a product of JA BizTown’s radio station and its DJ down below. 8 MEMPHIS DOWNTOWNER JANUARY 2012 “As far as understanding how they make money or what it means to get raw materials to create products, they have no concept,” says Colbert. “And from a banking standpoint, as far as understanding what they need to know about getting a loan — again, they have no concept. All they know is that mom and dad go to work, and that’s all the kids know until they go through this process at JA BizTown. This is not a field trip. They’re having fun, but they’re learning something at the same time.” JA BizTown itself is a colorful, L-shaped avenue of miniature shops and stores covering some 5,000 square feet. Besides the radio station, there’s a newspaper office sponsored by The Daily Being the mayor of a bustling city is a serious responsibility, and Louie Kimbrough is up for the challenge. In JA BizTown, the mayor is responsible for obtaining the bank loans, giving speeches, and overseeing the voting, and some of his duties also include taking a census of the population and opening and closing Town Hall meetings. MEMPHISDOWNTOWNER.COM
Publication List
