JA Finance Park JA Finance Park
Real-world learning. Real financial confidence.

Step into your financial future

JA Finance Park is an immersive simulation where students step into their own financial lives, apply what they learned in the classroom, and practice the decisions that shape their future before the stakes are real.

Register your class See how it works
90%+

of education leaders see a disconnect between what students learn in school and what they need to succeed economically.

Source: 2026 JA study of education leaders
Why it matters

Practice before the stakes are real

Today's students will make some of the biggest financial decisions of their lives within just a few years of leaving school.

JA Finance Park gives them a safe place to practice first, connecting education, career planning, budgeting, and financial responsibility in one meaningful experience.

Impact

Where awareness becomes actionable belief

By the end of the experience:

95%

of students see more clearly how education connects to their future.

95%

of students are more motivated to pursue their goals.

94%

of students believe they can succeed in the workplace.

Source: JA Finance Park student outcomes data (details to be confirmed)

Foundations that last

ConfidenceFinancial capabilityFuture-focused mindset

How the experience works

Classroom lessons lead into a day at JA Finance Park, where every financial choice has consequences and every decision builds real skills.

  1. Learn in the classroom

    Teachers lead JA lessons so students arrive ready to make real decisions.

  2. Step into a life scenario

    Each student gets a persona with an education, a career, a family, and a net monthly income.

  3. Visit the booths

    Students make buying decisions and get guidance from volunteers who share real-world experience.

  4. Balance the budget

    Working alongside peers, they adjust their choices and pay the bills until the budget adds up.

  5. Debrief and reflect

    Students talk through what they learned and set goals for their own financial future.

Two tracks, one simulation

Choose the track that fits your students. Both prepare them in the classroom and culminate in the JA Finance Park simulation.

Entry level

The core concepts of earning, saving, and spending.

  1. Income
  2. Saving, Investing, and Risk Management
  3. Debit and Credit
  4. Budget Plus
  5. Simulation and Debrief

Advanced

Careers, education, and planning for the long term.

  1. Career Clusters
  2. Net Income
  3. The Value of Education
  4. Financial Decision Making
  5. Next-Level Budgeting
  6. Insurance
  7. Investing for the Future
  8. Simulation, Debrief, and Reflection

Hands-on activities include a career scavenger hunt, a budgeting game where real-life surprises test the plan, and insurance scenarios students debate together.

In their words

This was one of the most amazing experiences I've had as an educator of 15+ years. My hope is that even more school districts adopt this experience for their students.

JA Educator

“JA gave me more than just a competition. I learned responsibility, taking risks, discipline, and how to think long-term.”

JA Student

Bring JA Finance Park to your students

Whether you teach, lead a district, or want to share your experience, there's a place for you at JA Finance Park.

Educators

Reserve a date for your class and prepare students with the JA classroom curriculum.

Register your class

District Leaders

Make JA Finance Park part of your district's strategy for financial literacy and career readiness.

Talk with our team

Volunteers

Share your professional experience and help students connect today's choices to tomorrow's outcomes.

Volunteer

Impact Partners

Sponsor the experience or engage your employees as volunteers at JA Finance Park.

Become a partner