Students visit Junior Achievement's Finance Park in Los Angeles.

A Day in the Park” – Putting Learning to Work

Upon entering JA Finance Park, each student is assigned their unique “life situation” – a card to identify the details of their adult persona, including marital status, number of children (if any), education, employment and income. The card might, for example, classify a student as a single mother with two kids, junior college education, and a sales associate job receiving an income of $40,000 per year. Students will determine how much of their income is available to them each month after taxes, and they will budget their money as they move about the Park. Each student’s budget will become the most important determining factor of his/her assumed role. Participating students use bank services, contribute to charities, purchase housing, transportation, furnishings, food, health care, and other expenses, make investment decisions, and work to create and balance their personal budgets. Students will become conscious that choices, compromises, and saving for the future are key concepts for living within one’s means.