Thousands of central Pennsylvania students are able to learn first-hand the opportunities available to them in the free enterprise system. Through Junior Achievement's        JA BizTown, area 5th & 6th grade students are able to become business operators, taxpayers, and  lawmakers in a hands-on learning laboratory.

JA BizTown buzzes with the excitement and challenges that adults face each day in the real world. Here, 5th & 6th graders are  putting their classroom instruction to work as they practice decision-making and learn about leadership and teamwork.

Students populate a simulated city, serving as entrepreneurs seeking venture capital, paying taxes, and meeting payroll... as employees in the local sports shop, setting prices for new merchandise... as a judge presiding over a citizen's disputed traffic ticket... as reporters hustling to meet story deadlines for the local newspaper.

Our innovative curriculum is correlated to Pennsylvania curriculum standards for math, language arts, social studies, civics, and technology. And our 8,000 square foot JA BizTown complex employs state-of-the-art technology and hands-on strategies to reinforce the lessons of the classroom... strategies that have been tested and verified at JA BizTown locations nationwide.

The JA BizTown learning experience combines a six-week classroom curriculum with an action-packed day of hands-on learning in the colorful simulated city.

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Studies in these learning laboratories throughout the nation show that JA BizTown students consistently increase their understanding of economic principles, government, and employment concepts. Teachers report JA BizTown increases student retention of these principles. Teachers also feel that JA BizTown inspires them to create more hands-on learning opportunities in their classrooms. Employers and business leaders have commended JA BizTown for helping to prepare students for the workforce and a rapidly changing world.

To prepare for their roles in JA BizTown, students complete a comprehensive curriculum that focuses on basic economic principles and entrepreneurship. Teachers, parents, and adult volunteers attend on-site training workshops to make the experiential learning program a success.