JA Finance Park® Mobile is a 3-4-hour immersive experience for middle
school students. During the simulation, students will be assigned a
hypothetical life scenario, including a career, spouse, children, and pets.
Throughout the simulation, they will ‘research’ different budget categories
through a series of volunteer-led group discussions and activities, and will
create a budget based on their household income and needs. Then, they will shop
through their budget to see how their ideal finances measure up to real world
costs. Volunteers support small groups of students (4-7) as they create, edit,
and shop through their budgets. All discussion and activity materials are
provided, and volunteers can share their real world experiences to help
students understand different financial commitments they will have as they grow
up. Volunteer orientation is provided morning of the simulation, and no
previous expertise is required
