Augusta University celebrated the official opening of a storefront at the Junior Achievement Discovery Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday evening, March 27.
Following the grand opening of the JA Discovery Center on Jan. 11, a statewide program created for middle schoolers, over 3,500 students from Richmond and Columbia County have enjoyed a day-long field trip to learn about business and financial literacy.
In preparing for the future, middle school visitors are also taught about real world budgets and the benefits of pursuing higher education by visiting the Augusta University and Augusta Technical College storefronts.
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By applying concepts learned in classes, students from the CSRA are able to take part in simulated, immersive experiences with nearly 20 storefronts, thanks to the efforts of several volunteers.
Director Development at the JA Discovery Center Ashley Whitaker, said the partnership with Augusta University started from the early stages of the hub’s construction phase.
“It used to be a warehouse with a lot of rubble, and [they] kind of believed in the vision of what we are doing,” Whitaker said. “Now we’re here about a year later, and we have already seen almost all of the sixth grade students in Columbia and Richmond County schools.”
By the end of the 2023-24 school year, Whitaker said the center will have seen over 7,500 students and will use the summer season to prepare for seventh grade in the following year.
“Imagine the impact next year, when we open for a full school year … and we couldn’t do it without partners like Augusta University,” she said. “I’m super excited to see [the university] in the facility, not just for the students, but also for all of the adults that volunteer in this space everyday.”
AU President Brooks Keel said he believes the partnership equally benefits both counties, as well as the university, because it further strengthens the communities’ collaborations and relationship.
“We have said many, many times that Augusta University will never be able to carry out its mission – do what it does – without the City of Augusta, and without the relationship we have with Richmond and Columbia County,” Keel said. “… to have this type of facility for these young people, especially our middle school kids, is incredible.”
Through educating students early on in their schooling, Keel said middle schoolers can advance through life with a better understanding of what career path they might want to pursue after high school.
“It’s wonderful to have this facility so that they can visualize themselves, and what they want to be,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity to try and interest those who we know might become future Jags at Augusta University.”
Russell Keen, executive vice president for administration and chief of staff for Keel, said various staff members collaborated to make the storefront a reality, and created a “fabulous” and educational simulation.
“What we’re finding is that the sooner we can get it ingrained in children that they actually can achieve higher education, the more they can achieve their dreams if they just see it,” he said. “This allows them to really envision themselves through their education … and it’s really fun, which is cool.”
Keen also said AU’s participation in the center was a testament of Keel’s dedication, vision and leadership, which will help positively affect 15,000 students every year.
“We are very excited to be here,” Keen said. “For Augusta University, this is a huge part of our community engagement initiative … we’re very grateful to have a creative team in place and this was driven relentlessly by them.”
AU storefront developer and Creative Director Sergio Gallardo said he purposefully designed the space to align with the university’s education campaign by inspiring middle schoolers to consider different careers.
“I also made it interactive so that the kids can look for hidden [AU mascots],” he said. “It was a huge project and it was a cool experience. It’s a neat thought that the design I got to make and my team got to create with me is something that might impact youth for hopefully many years.”
With the room displaying photos and videos from offered pathways at AU, Gallardo said he hopes every student who completes the program feels comfortable asking questions and exploring possible future occupations.
“Hopefully, it just inspires them,” he said. “They’re also learning real-life skills here too, which is just great.”
Mother and AU’a Fort Eisenhower Site Coordinator Lakisha Dinkins, who has a seventh grader in Evans Middle School, said she believed the Discovery Center allowed students to truly gain valuable knowledge that would greatly serve them when making their future decisions in high school.
“It teaches the kids about businesses and becoming business owners, and it also teaches them about everyday finances – how to think about their personal care,” she said. “In five years my son will be graduating from high school, and he should be making goals and plans for life now, I feel.”
With Augusta Tech and AU often partnering and allowing students to easily transfer credits, Dinkins said she believed it just made sense for both to be represented in the center and to be placed side-by-side.
“It’s important the local area schools are here, because our kids may not have the option to move out-of-state,” she said.
Dinkins said another advantage to learning about both facilities is allowing students to see the differences between technical and more traditional education, as it also informs them of different options should their career plans change in the future.
As students complete the university’s portion of the JA program, President Keel said he hopes middle schoolers walk away feeling reassured that anyone can go to college, and that AU wants to provide a pathway for them to success.
To learn more about the JA Discovery Center or sign-up for volunteering opportunities, visit: https://www.georgia.ja.org/csra
