'A window to their futures': Junior Achievement Discovery Center opens in Dalton

Mar. 7—"Start, Dream, Thrive."

Those are the words that greet students as they enter the new Junior Achievement Discovery Center of Greater Dalton, which officially opened Thursday, and they couldn't be more apt, said Anna Adamson, director of development and volunteer partnerships for Junior Achievement of Georgia. "Invaluable life skills will be taught here, generational impact will be felt, and we will transform the future of our community."

This Junior Achievement Discovery Center is the first of its kind outside of a major, metropolitan city, and Dalton is the smallest community to host a discovery center, said John Hancock, president and CEO of Junior Achievement of Georgia. "We think that's a big deal."

The discovery center is on the campus of Hammond Creek Middle School, which will open for students in grades six and seven for the 2021-22 academic year. Inside the Discovery Center, middle school students experience storefronts that are prototypes of local businesses and meet volunteers who will share their real-world knowledge and perspective.

"It's so cool to see it come to life," and the discovery center will begin hosting students Monday, said Sarah Lippert, a senior marketing associate for Junior Achievement of Georgia. Students "learn things about life here we all had to learn through trial and error."

Students in sixth grade focus in JA BizTown, while students in grades seven and eight learn from JA Finance Park. Students are exposed to various local career pathways, learn how to manage money, and utilize business plans and budgets.

In sixth grade, "the focus is on macroeconomics, how businesses work, and (their role) in the economy," Lippert said. In grades seven and eight, "we get into personal finances."

"They're given a life profile," and they must make decisions based on their earnings, family size and other socioeconomic factors, she said. For example, "Can I buy a car, do I have to lease, or do I need to take the bus? Can I eat out? (If so), how often? Or do I have to cook at home?"

BizTown is more about "learning the soft skills to earn a paycheck," while Finance Park is "about how to make that paycheck work in real-life situations," according to Karey Williams, Whitfield County Schools' assistant superintendent of teaching and learning. Whitfield County Schools middle school students will visit the discovery center this spring, and "we are very excited about this opportunity."

At the discovery center, "this feels very real, because they're not just learning from a textbook," Lippert said. Prior to visiting, students study at least 20 hours of classroom curriculum to prepare, and "then this is the chance to put it all together, which makes it stick."

At the Mercedes-Benz station, "some kids will be employed here, some will buy cars, and some will lease," said Andrea Gill, a Junior Achievement of Georgia volunteer. Everyone has to pay for transportation as part of the life simulation, but not everyone can afford to buy a car based on circumstances.

In the past, some students have purchased cars while putting their (fictional) husband or wife on the bus, Gill recalled with a chuckle. "They have to make hard decisions for themselves and their families."

That gives students "a greater appreciation for what their parents do, (because) they see how much things cost, and how much they have to pay for," she said. "In Finance Park, we teach them about needs and wants, and even cellphones, which they would consider a need, we consider a want."

Offering this learning opportunity to middle school students is critical, because that's the time youth begin to understand interests and aptitudes, as well as consider careers and "dreaming of what they (might) become," Hancock said. It's also an age some begin to "drift," but the discovery center shows them why getting an education is necessary for their futures.

Local carpet magnate Jack Bandy and I.V. Chandler, an educator and pioneer in the bedspread, textile and rug industries, brought Junior Achievement to Dalton in the 1950s, Hancock said. The tone they set, as well as their support for Junior Achievement — along with that of Bob Shaw, founder and chairman of Engineered Floors and co-founder and longtime head of Shaw Industries — are a main reason this discovery center exists, because "great projects have great people associated with them."

The 15,000-square-foot discovery center was built by Carroll Daniel Construction, the same Gainesville company that constructed Hammond Creek, and the total cost was slightly more than $5 million, of which Dalton Public Schools was responsible for approximately $2.8 million, according to Pat Holloway, chief of staff for the school system. The rest was covered by Junior Achievement, donors and local businesses participating in the facility.

Various sectors are represented in the discovery center, from industry (Engineered Floors and Shaw Industries), to healthcare (Hamilton Health Care System), to automotive (Mercedes-Benz and Ford of Dalton), to education (Dalton State College and Georgia Northwestern Technical College), and "we're super excited," said Tim Scott, superintendent of Dalton Public Schools. "It's beautiful, and to have it here is so great."

Previously, local students would have to travel "hours on buses" to reach a discovery center, but that's no longer the case, Scott said. "I'd seen (discovery centers and their impact) in other areas, and it's a great program for students."

The discovery center expects to host around 13,000 students from more than a dozen school systems in northwest Georgia annually, according to Dixie H. Kinard, a member of the Northwest Georgia Junior Achievement Executive Advisory Board. This is the state's fourth discovery center, joining existing centers in Atlanta, Cumming and Gwinnett, with a fifth slated to open next year in Savannah.

Each discovery center is unique and "built for the community they are in," Lippert said. "There are local touches everywhere," as businesses and entities represented inside include Dalton Utilities, Engineered Floors and First Bank of Dalton.

Volunteers help run the discovery center, and local community participation is prized, Lippert said. "We would love for the community to get involved," and those interested can contact Adamson at (423) 667-7411.

The discovery center "brings world-class learning experiences to young people in this region, (giving) them a window to their futures through authentic, real-world experiences, (and) they see there is a place for them in the economy, (whatever) their talents and abilities," Hancock said. "Education is paramount to future work life."