Submitted imageThis is a sketch of the exterior design of a Junior Achievement Discovery Center to be built on the campus of the new Hammond Creek Middle School that is scheduled for completion in August of 2021. 

DALTON, Ga. — The approval of a JA Discovery Center to be built on the campus of the new Hammond Creek Middle School will result in some 13,000 middle school students in the northwestern part of the state benefiting each year from Junior Achievement programs.

Members of the Dalton Board of Education approved the center at their meeting Monday night.

One of just four JA Discovery Centers in the state, the Dalton location will expand Junior Achievement’s offerings to more school systems in northwest Georgia, officials said. The center is the result of cooperation among educational and business partners aimed at targeting middle school students and guiding them through career options while providing foundations in business and personal finance.

“Currently, our program is utilized by Calhoun city, Dalton city and Whitfield County Schools,” said Anna Adamson, director of development for northwest Georgia for Junior Achievement of Georgia. “The idea is the Discovery Centers are the opportunity to correlate what middle-schoolers are studying into transitioning to what they want to do professionally. We also have programs for parents with financial counseling and first-time homeowners. It is a generational impact for the kids and their families. Their educational and financial choices matter, along with keeping them engaged in education.”

With the opening of the new facility, Adamson said that footprint will grow to include the Gordon County, Murray County, Catoosa County, Walker County and Dade County school systems. Currently, she said 9,800 students are in the program.

The 18,000-square-foot building will house 16 classrooms, a 140-seat commons area with a stage, meeting space, a training room and a general purpose room. The building will be the property of Dalton Public Schools and will be funded by a private grant to the state’s JA program and $2.4 million in construction funds from the school system.

“Having the availability of this center locally will provide enormous opportunities and access for our staff and students to have authentic, real-world learning experiences that are applicable to a number of academic subjects,” Superintendent Tim Scott said. “Beyond our schools, we know this center will be available for use in professional development, parent education and community involvement.”

Board of Education Chair Rick Fromm said construction funds will come from existing general budget funds and will not result in a millage rate increase or be part of the general obligation bond that is funding the construction of Hammond Creek. Dalton Public Schools will fund the framing and outer construction of the project, and the private JA grant will complete the inner construction project. The general contractor for the Hammond Creek project — Carroll Daniel Construction of Cartersville — has built two of the other three Discovery Centers in the state.

Jennifer Phinney, Dalton Public Schools’ director of school support, is on the board of directors of the Junior Achievement of Northwest Georgia and said getting a Discovery Center in the area has been a long-time goal of the organization.

“I am beyond thrilled and very excited and proud of the (school) district as a whole,” Phinney said. “This is the kind of experiential learning we know has the biggest impact on kids outside of the classroom walls. They get to experience what it is like to be an adult with real ‘boots on the ground’ experiences with professionals and businesses. This is one of those ways that you can show kids about financial literacy and professions and see what really happens. Besides just being a really cool thing, this is a huge benefit for the community.”

The Discovery Center will feature two programs, JA BizTown and JA Finance Park. According to a press release, with BizTown “students are able to interact within a simulated economy and take on the challenge of fueling a business. Here, students not only discover the intricacies of being a professional and member of the community, but also realize the abundance of opportunities available within their city.”

Finance Park “provides students the rare opportunity to experience their personal financial futures firsthand. Guided by an assigned ‘life situation,’ students participate in an immersive simulation that enables them to develop skills to successfully navigate today’s complex economic environment and discover how decisions today can impact tomorrow.”

“We are thrilled with the decision of the (school) board that will allow us to deepen our impact in the northwest Georgia region,” John Hancock, president and CEO of Junior Achievement of Georgia, said in the press release. “We are thankful for the commitment of the local community … and look forward to providing unmatched learning experiences that enable students to discover the possibilities that their futures can hold.”

The JA Discovery Center and Hammond Creek are scheduled to be completed in August of 2021.