JA Finance Park

At the Patten Family Foundation JA Finance Park, each year more than 20,000 eighth grade students from Broward and south Palm Beach Counties learn how financial decisions will impact their lives. These include expenses related to family health care, real estate and home improvements, automobiles, insurance, entertainment, education, and purchasing items such as clothing, furniture, and groceries.

This year, for Broward County Public Schools, the JA Finance Park Program will encompass career exploration and financial literacy in a Project-Based Learning (PBL) format to provide students with a deeper knowledge through active exploration of real-world challenges and problems.

The JA Finance Park helps students build a foundation for making lifelong personal-finance decisions. It consists of curriculum that teaches them about finances, careers, income, expenses, savings, and credit, while helping students recognize that their education decisions affect their career options and have an impact on their potential income and quality of life. At the end of the curriculum instruction, students participate in an on-site simulation and put what they learned into action by managing a real world inspired personal budget based on local careers in a simulated city.

Want to help our students? JA Finance Park is always seeking volunteers or donations to Junior Achievement of South Florida. Sponsor a class or school as they participate in the program.

• Avatar Picking
• NMI Calculations
• Engaging research of budgeting items
• Budget for fictitious life scenario
• Review expenses
• Purchase Items Appropriate for Their Life

Teacher Training Dates/Times

There will be three dates available for non-Broward County Public Schools:

• Thursday, November 16, 2023 — 3:00pm-4:00 pm VIRTUAL
• Thursday, January 18, 2024 — 3:00pm-4:00pm VIRTUAL
• Thursday, February 29, 2024 — 3:00pm-4:00pm VIRTUAL

There will be three dates available for Broward County Public Schools:

• Tuesday, October 24, 2023 — 12:00pm-3:00pm VIRTUAL
• Tuesday, November 7, 2023 — 12:15pm-3:15pm VIRTUAL
• Monday, January 22, 2024 — 9:00am-12:00pm VIRTUAL

If you are unable to attend these dates and times or if you have any additional questions, please contact Rebecca House at [email protected] or (954) 979-7105.