JA BIZTOWN FACT SHEET

JA BizTown serves as an additional program offering to our long-standing in-class programs. JA BizTown is both a program and a place. The program begins with an in-class curriculum and culminates in a one-day simulation experience. The program is offered at grades 4, 5 and 6 (most commonly at grade 5).

In venue, JA BizTown is an 8,500 square foot replica of an American city. This colorful and bustling city has its own retail stores, bank, newspaper, television station, health clinic, restaurant and city hall. A total of 19 enterprises are outfitted with modern office technology, equipment and supplies. The city serves as the venue for an instructional simulation that reinforces students’ language arts, social studies, math, and technology skills by giving them real-life application.

Students – 8,000 students from an estimated 95 area schools will participate in the program in the 2009-10 school year. The majority of these schools will be from the greater Portland metro area, with limited participation from schools in Central, Southern and Coastal Oregon. Nearly half of the participating schools have Title I status, thereby ensuring that students from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds have the JA BizTown experience. Program participation will grow to more than 10,000 students (130 schools) annually by 2011.

Teachers – 320 teachers will partner with JA during the 2008-09 school year in the successful delivery of JA BizTown. Following a three-hour training with JA staff, teachers are responsible for delivery of the 18-hour program curriculum in the four to five weeks leading up to the student’s on-site simulation experience at JA BizTown. Teacher participation will grow to more than 450 by 2010.

Parent/Community Volunteers – Each simulation day requires 22-25 volunteers, typically recruited from the parent-base of the school participating that day. These adults are assigned to cover one of the 19 businesses in the JA BizTown program space, and thereby assist in facilitating activities of the students who are working in that business. This follows a two-hour required volunteer orientation session prior to their volunteer day. The total annual number of volunteers needed for the program is significant; growing from 2,000 this coming school year to 2,750 annually once the program reaches capacity.