KIDS FIND WORK AT BIZTOWN
Students go to ‘work’ as Junior Achievement opens its BizTown
In the 1990s, Dennis Gilfoyle, president and chief executive of Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania, toured JA’s first BizTown in Kansas City, Mo., and returned with a vision to develop the same kind of simulated learning environment for young students in the Pittsburgh area.
It took more than two decades — and persistent fundraising — but the $3.5 million project came to fruition Tuesday morning when 79 fourth graders from Claysville Elementary School, Washington County, burst through the doors and assembled in the “town square” at JA’s newest BizTown in South Fayette.
The students spent half a day working, shopping and eating at the site, which features 20 storefronts — most sponsored by local corporations including Calgon Carbon, FedEx Ground, Giant Eagle, Sheetz, Comcast, Koppers, Vector Security and others.
About 3,000 fourth through sixth graders
in the region are scheduled to travel to BizTown between now and May.
They prepare in advance with 11 weeks of classroom lessons about careers and financial literacy.
Once on-site, students have already been assigned jobs with specific companies and begin interactive experiences that include work tasks and depositing their mock paychecks.
At the FedEx Ground store on Tuesday, student Hunter Clemens learned how to scan packages for his job as a delivery driver.
He applied for that position, he said, “because I really like running around and being active.”
His classmate Brayden Bailey got training from FedEx corporate volunteers on how to be a package handler — a job Brayden aspired to “because I like sorting things,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bentlyee Carlisle, assigned as FedEx’s chief executive for the day, handed out checkbooks to her employees, and Tein Barton, chief financial officer, entered names and figures into a computer to track payroll and a company loan.
“Our ultimate goal is to have kids here every day,” Mr. Gilfoyle said.
JA, a nonprofit that delivers financial instruction and career experiences to students in elementary, middle and high schools, has about 40 BizTowns nationwide.
Others in Pennsylvania are located in York and Scranton.
Development of the BizTown in South Fayette became a reality two years ago when Highmark committed $200,000 to the project.
Burns Scalo Real Estate, developer of the Abele Business Park, provided JA a 15year lease on 17,000 square feet at a discounted rate to help push the project forward, Mr. Gilfoyle said.
Companies that donated their services to the site build-out include Mascaro Construction; IKM, an architectural and design firm; PPG Paints; H.F. Lenz, a heating and air-conditioning provider; and Jones Lang LaSalle, project manager.
A total $436,000 in public funding came from the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County’s Gaming Economic Development Fund, the state Department of Education and the state Office of the Budget, said Robbie Zaremberg, JA’s senior director of community development.
Corporate sponsors pledged between $100,000 and $200,000 apiece and also provide volunteers to oversee their stores when students are on-site.
A colorful space occupied by Ansys, an engineering software business, features computers and equipment where student workers build and test bridges.
At UPMC’s simulated medical office, students take on the roles of nurse, nurse practitioner and medical assistant to provide mini health exams and calculate bills and payments.
Next door to UPMC, students at a Highmark store fill the jobs of insurance agents and executives to learn “the connection between the payer and the provider,” said Evan Frazier, senior vice president of community affairs for Highmark Health.
Mr. Frazier’s relationship with JA dates back to his years at Pittsburgh’s Peabody High School in East Liberty, now Obama Academy, where he engaged with programs and mentors who helped shape his career path, he said.
BizTown’s City Hall has jobs for student law enforcement agents, attorneys, a mayor and treasurer.
Government officials who gathered for a ribboncutting Tuesday before the students arrived said BizTown opened at a critical time as the Pittsburgh region seeks ways to educate and retain young people for future business careers.
“This exposes kids to jobs right here in Western Pennsylvania,” said state Rep. Jason Ortitay, R-South Fayette. “I hope it sparks them to stay.”