A new center under construction on the campus of Tenoroc High School will give students hands-on lessons in money, jobs and responsibility.
The Barnett Family Junior Achievement of Polk Discovery Center is expected to open in fall 2026. It will house JA BizTown and JA Finance Park.
Inside JA Biztown, fifth graders will run banks, manage businesses and even serve as mayor. At JA Finance Park, older students will learn how to budget for housing, food and healthcare.
“It’s not just play,” said Shauna Dykes, president of Junior Achievement of Polk County. “Kids walk in as students and walk out seeing themselves as citizens, workers and even leaders.”
Why it matters
The United Way of Central Florida’s Community Needs Assessment identified education and workforce readiness as two of Polk County’s biggest gaps. Employers say too many applicants lack soft skills, teamwork and financial literacy.
Families echoed these concerns, saying schools need to do more to connect academics to real life.
“Our employers tell us the same things parents do,” Dykes said. “Students need confidence, communication and financial skills — not just test scores.”
How it works
The Discovery Center will be a flexible space that will be configured differently for JA BizTown and JA Finance Park, transforming one building into two unique learning worlds.
JA Polk will be the first in the nation to offer BizTown, Finance Park and 3DE on one site.
JA BizTown: Fifth graders will step into a student-sized town, populated by real-life models of local Polk County businesses. They will:
- Understand the roles they play as citizens, workers and consumers
- Build money management skills
- Explore basic business practices
“It’s amazing to watch kids who’ve never balanced a budget suddenly realize if you don’t pay back your loan, the bank comes calling,” Dykes said.
JA Finance Park: High schoolers will learn the basics of financial literacy. They will:
- Learn how to create a successful budget
- Understand the uses, advantages and disadvantages of debit/credit cards
- Evaluate risks and benefits of saving and investing
- Define and explain taxes
“We give them a salary, a family and bills,” Dykes said. “They walk out saying, ‘Wow, life is expensive.’ That’s the lesson we want to stick.”
Making an impact
Junior Achievement programs have decades of results nationwide. According to the JA Alumni Report:
- 79% of participants say JA shaped their education, career or personal path.
- 51% earned a college degree — vs. 33% nationally.
- Half started or owned a business.
“This model works everywhere it’s been tried,” Dykes said. “Now it’s Polk’s turn.”
Voices of the community
“Parents often tell us this is the kind of practical education they wish they had,” Dykes said. “And teachers see kids light up when they connect math to money or civics to running a town.”
Vision
Polk’s needs assessment is clear: stronger schools and workforce skills are essential. The Discovery Center offers a step forward — equipping students to manage money, explore careers, and believe in their future.
As Dykes said, “If every fifth grader in Polk County can leave here believing they’re capable of more, we’ve done our job.”
LkldNow’s Insight Polk independent reporting initiative is made possible by the Community Indicators Project with funding by GiveWell Community Foundation & United Way of Central Florida. All editorial decisions are made by LkldNow.
Kayla Borg is a reporter for LkldNow, a nonprofit newsroom providing independent local news for Lakeland. Read at LkldNow.com.
