70 Years of Impact: Stories That Shape Junior Achievement

Leading the Way: Reflections from a Former JA President
Gina Blayney, Former JA of the Heartland President

I was fortunate to be leading JA of the Quad Cities Area, Inc. when Junior Achievement introduced a new curriculum model centered on experiential learning. The model combined classroom instruction with an immersive experience at an experiential learning center (ELC), where students could apply what they had learned through two innovative in-school programs: JA Exchange City—now Junior Achievement BizTown—and Junior Achievement Finance Park. After building foundational skills in economics, financial literacy, and career readiness, students spent a full school day operating a simulated community, managing businesses, having a job, earning income, and making real-world financial decisions.

We became only the third JA area in the country to secure the funding, build partnerships with local schools, and design and construct an ELC—located in downtown Davenport. Today, more than 130 local teachers integrate the Junior Achievement BizTown and Junior Achievement Finance Park curricula into their social studies instruction, reaching more than 6,600 students each year. This enduring success reflects Junior Achievement of the Heartland’s remarkable tradition of volunteerism and its deep commitment to partnerships between business and education—partnerships that continue to prepare young people for success in work and life.