Junior Achievement: Not all business

It's a typical day at the regional headquarters of Junior Achievement, and it's not hard to see the reach of the pioneering business education program, which is transforming itself for the 21st century.

About 130 students are "working" at businesses in a mock village called Biz Town inside the Maplewood headquarters. The staff is preparing for an equal number of children to descend on "Finance Park," where they'll be assigned a job and required to run a household based on their income.

At a high school nearby, students are hunkering down over a computer program that simulates a business start-up. They'll eventually come to headquarters and square off against their local competition. The winners could go on to compete with students worldwide to get a taste of the global economy.

All this activity may come as a surprise to anyone who drives by the nondescript Junior Achievement headquarters on White Bear Avenue.

But more than 20,000 students from Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota visited last year alone.

While Junior Achievement runs one of Minnesota's largest educational programs, most people don't have a clue about its growing reach, leaders said.

"This is absolutely a pivotal time for the organization," said Gina Blayney, president of Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest. "We are at a point where we need to make some decisions on how to make an even greater impact on our young people."

"We're experiencing a great demand from educators," said Blayney. "We've got schools that want to come here, but no room for them."

One reason is that schools appreciate the "experiential learning," she said. "We teach the students a concept, and then put them in a position to see how it works."

Changing with society

A walk through Biz Town, a recreated town with about two dozen storefronts, shows another reason for the growth. On a recent morning, dozens of children from the St. Anthony-New Brighton School District were hard at work.

A construction company manager in a hardhat was taking bids from a client. The city attorney was investigating a theft at a restaurant. Marketers were designing simple business Web pages. A DJ was spinning discs at the radio station.

While Biz Town has been around for years, it's undergone a face-lift to reflect the changing demands of the workplace, said Sara Brigger, a vice president for the organization.

The factory was removed. A global gift shop and a store selling science-based products was added. The mayor's office got a director of nonprofits and an environmental specialist.

Surveying the scene was 11-year-old Francine Swanson, who was elected mayor of Biz Town for the day. The sixth-grader at St. Anthony Middle School said she loves the program, especially the chance to be the boss.

"I like to be in charge," Swanson said matter of factly. "And I get to go around and talk to people -- not just stay here and work."

In an effort to keep the elementary school kids participating in Junior Achievement as they get older, the organization recently launched a pilot program to teach middle school students how to manage personal budgets.

"Some of the kids said, 'I had no idea what my parents had to go through!"' said Wernimont, who required the children to use their budgets to buy a house, a car, furniture and other necessities -- all within their means.

"It quickly became clear that no one in our group would be buying a house in Kenwood," he joked.

The core of Junior Achievement has long been the in-school classes focused on financial literacy, civics and entrepreneurship, taught by parent and business volunteers. Cris Town, principal of the Pinewood Community School in Eagan, says his school has been using the curriculum as long as anyone can remember.

"It offers a chance for kids to see what businesses actually do," he said. "And it gives businesses a chance to see what school is about."

Blayney said that timing may also be a factor in the organization's growth.