An Innovation of Education
JA Finance Park® is an innovation in education designed to prepare our region’s youth for life and work in the adult world. This learning experience combines in-class learning with a visit to an immersive on-site or mobile facility.
From goal-setting to saving, budgeting, shopping and bill paying, students will step into the future and catch a glimpse of what’s possible if they take control of their financial future. After learning in the classroom, students engage with volunteers and put into practice what they have learned by developing a personal budget. They get hands-on experience identifying career interests, the advantages and disadvantages of using credit and debit cards, and the components of creating a successful budget.
“JA Finance Park opened my eyes to the reality of adulthood and what to expect in the years to come. From my experience, I was able to plan for my future and learn the importance of managing my money to attain the life I want to live.”
- A JA Finance Park Alum
JA Finance Park began in 2016 as a response to HB 1476, which mandated that all students complete fourteen areas of instruction around key financial concepts prior to high school graduation. JA of Oklahoma was able to provide schools with a solution.
In seven short years, more than 40,000 Oklahoma students have participated in this program, which currently travels between Tulsa and Oklahoma City and is set up at partnering technical colleges. The JA Experiential Learning Lab will add a permanent location for JA Finance Park and will allow Junior Achievement of Oklahoma to double student capacity.