Getting Down to JA (BizTown) Business!

What exactly IS JA Biztown?  Located on East Paris, it is by all means a town that simulates the day-to-day functions of a community. Our sixth grade students became both producers and consumers by working jobs, earning paychecks, depositing money, buying goods, voting, and just plain being integral parts of the BizTown community for the day. 

In the classroom prior to going to BizTown, students learned about the concepts of financial responsibility, community and economic building, and career readiness. Once at BizTown, the practices of business management and operations, as well as collaboration and team building, were the goals for the day. 

All Saints Academy was given three community businesses to run while at BizTown.  Our sixth grade students ran DeVos Children’s Hospital, Gordon Food Service, and Independent Bank. 

Jacob offered his thoughts on the day. “My job at Biztown was at  Independent Bank. I was the Client Sales Specialist, and I  had to count money and withdraw money from people’s accounts and open savings accounts for them. My job got easier as the day went on, and I really liked it when I got to interact with other people. I think that other 6th graders should go to Biztown. It is really fun and a good learning experience.

Andrew served as the bank manager at Independent Bank “I filed all the paperwork from opening a checking account to business deposits. I also handled other businesses in BizTown when they came in with money to pay off their loans. This was not just a fun experience but also educational. I learned so many things! I would definitely want to do this again.”

The banks CFO, Lydia, added, “I honestly enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I thought that I would be just sitting at a desk, staring at my computer, have a ten minute break, and then resume working. But that's not what happened.”

The physical town setup has jobs for every student, teaching them about interviewing and specific roles within a town, including governmental structures such as city government, learning the importance of voting and how decisions are made in a community. 

“My favorite part of my job was checking in people to get physicals and using the iPad to set the prices for the appointments and other activities,” shared Parker. BizTown businesses offered incentives for their employees to receive yearly physicals. 

Also at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, physician Elly gave physicals to many of the employees working in BizTown that day. “Spinning the wheel of diseases was fun, and I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed talking to people I didn’t know. If given the option I would go to BizTown every year. I had a really fun time and would definitely recommend it.”

Last, but not least, we certainly cannot leave out the experience of being the consumers. “My favorite part was the lunch break where we could also shop at all the other businesses and buy their items with the money we earned by working. There are different lunch breaks so people can shop while others work,” explained Taras. “The experience was good. It helped you know what to expect when you get a real job some day.”