MOCK TOWN TEACHES REAL-WORLD SKILLS

Though they have years to go before beginning their careers, fourth-graders across the Fox Chapel Area School District recently got to experience a day on the job.

Students traveled to Junior Achievement’s JA BizTown in South Fayette Township, a fully interactive mock town that simulates the day-to-day functions of thriving communities. Led by volunteers, the program aims to teach financial literacy, ignite entrepreneurial thinking, and help youths build job skills.

Before visiting JA BizTown, students engaged in four units of study to prepare for the culminating simulation, which had students working in a storefront, earning a paycheck, managing a checking account, and selling goods. Students took on roles such as CEO, store manager, chemist, health care worker, disc jockey, construction worker, and police officer. The storefronts represent well-known Pittsburgh-area companies.

“It was exciting to see these young learners engage in JA BizTown,” says Dr. Ashley Constantine, Fox Chapel Area School District’s executive director of elementary education and instruction. “The real-world experiences cultivated through this curriculum and the visit to JA BizTown are sure to build skills for success, not just in their careers, but life, too.”