GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Grand Rapids nonprofit commemorated the opening of a handful of new spaces meant to support students Monday.
There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Karl & Susan Hascall JA Finance Park along with six others. It’s all thanks to a program operated by the Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes (JAMGL).
Their goal is to give students their best shot at life after graduating, incorporating real-life scenarios they should know.
“We have this partnership with JA that allows us to offer exposure for young leaders and how they think about their careers and provide that important financial literacy at the same time,” says SpartanNash CEO Tony Sarsam.
The program is open to students in eighth through 12th grade. Attendees will spend a full day at the finance park, where they will be instructed to establish a monthly budget paired with a randomly chosen career and hypothetical living scenario.
“They'll learn about what it takes to make a transportation decision, a housing decision or utilities decision, and how they all work together,” says Junior Achievement President & CEO William Coderre. “The whole idea is to build a balanced budget.”
JAMGL estimates more than 20,000 students will visit the center annually.
