EM’s National Lab Opens ‘Storefront’ in Junior Achievement Discovery Center

Views from the recent grand opening of the Junior Achievement of Georgia Discovery Center of the Central Savannah River Area, where Savannah River National Laboratory hosts a "storefront."

EVANS, Ga. — EM’s Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) opened its “storefront” within the Junior Achievement (JA) of Georgia Discovery Center of the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) in Evans, Georgia, earlier this month.

The center will benefit middle school students in Richmond and Columbia counties in Georgia.

“We’re excited to partner with JA Georgia in the opening of its Discovery Center of the CSRA,” said SRNL Deputy Lab Director Sharon Marra. “Our storefront within the Discovery Center of the CSRA will help motivate, engage and inspire students, equip them with key career-readiness skills, and help them to be financially literate by understanding key business principles.”

EM’s national laboratory is one of 30 organizations participating in the JA Discovery Center of the CSRA. The center’s goal is to provide all children, no matter their background, the opportunity to develop skills to become financially independent and responsible. This center will enable JA of Georgia to reach into the CSRA and provide invaluable experiences for up to 15,000 students per year.

Junior Achievement Discovery Centers blend key components of education to create state-of-the-art learning facilities where students apply concepts they learn in the classroom in a 360-degree, authentic and immersive experience.

At the center, students become part of a simulated version of their hometown within two innovative programs: JA BizTown and JA Finance Park. Students work together with peers and adult volunteers to develop their skills and an understanding of financial concepts while fostering an entrepreneurial spirit.

Battelle Savannah River Alliance, the SRNL management and operations contractor, sponsored the lab’s storefront. There, sixth grade students will interact within a simulated economy and take on the roles of employee, taxpayer and consumer. Students discover the intricacies of being a professional and a member of the community while working a specific role within the laboratory.

As part of the JA Finance Park, seventh graders create and maintain a household budget and have the rare opportunity to experience their personal financial futures firsthand. Every student receives a real- life scenario for which they must manage and consider factors including education, family size and income.

-Contributor: Scott Shaw