Register for Finance Park!

Prepare your students for their future.

Finance Park Meets NJ State Standards and is free to schools and students!

Register Here for Finance Park

JA Finance Park is a two-part program comprised of classroom curriculum, followed by a simulation experience where students put their knowledge into practice.

Finance Park meets the 9.1 Financial Literacy graduation requirement and New Jersey State Standards, all while supporting students through lessons centered around college and career readiness, and financial literacy.

JA's Finance Park is free to schools and students! It also includes a fun-filled, interactive simulation experience that can either take place as a field trip at the JA Education Center in Edison or in virtual setting using technology inside your classroom.

To sign up contact Mia Moares, Director of Capstone Programs!

JA Finance Park - How it Works...

JA staff will prepare educators on how to effectively deliver curriculum in their classroom. Training takes approximately 45 minutes and can be done over the phone.
After the training session, teachers receive a curriculum guide and a workbook for each student. Project Based Learning (PBL) is also an available option. The PBL method does not require student workbooks and focuses on individual research toward a final project. (PBL requires students to have access to computers/internet for each JA Finance Park lesson).
After completion of the classroom lessons, students practice their new skills during a hands-on, culminating experience, the second piece of Finance Park's two-pronged educational approach. These reality-based simulations put students in the shoes of an adult for the day, and require them to make the tough financial decisions necessary to maximize their resources and avoid going into debt.

Each school has the choice of either taking a trip to Finance Park at JA's Education Center or participating in an virtual simulation using technology in the classroom - see below for details:

Finance Park Field Trip:

At Finance Park, groups of students are paired with volunteer mentors, business professionals, community role models and/or parents from the school to guide students through the simulation activity and share their education, career, and life experience with the students throughout the day.Students must bring their own lunch. Only cost to schools is transportation.

Upon arrival, students are placed in groups of (6-10) peers and assigned to a volunteer mentor for the day.
Students receive a tablet for use during the simulation, where they will learn about their fictional adult life situation.
Volunteers will help students explore realistic spending categories such as housing, transportation, utilities.
Students will then create a budget based on their fictional net monthly income and make spending decisions.
After planning students visit storefronts to shop and pay bills using a debit card.
When students budgets are balanced, volunteers, staff and teachers gather to debrief and discuss students' light bulb moments that were discovered along the way.

Sign Up for a JA Finance Park Field Trip

Finance Park Online Virtual for Classroom:

JA's online virtual simulation provides schools and educators increased flexibility when using the Finance Park program. If the field trip to the JA Education Center is not an option, students can still experience what is like to spend the day in adult's shoes - and feel more prepared for future success after completing the program, without leaving the classroom!

JA Finance Park Staff create an account for the school and send educators login information.
After accounts are created, teachers upload classroom rosters to create student accounts (each students receives a username and password).
After setting up student profiles, the simulation can be done on laptops, in a computer lab, at the library or in a media center.
The simulation is divided into four 45-minute sessions. The sessions can be done over multiple class periods, all at once, in one sitting, or completed as homework.