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Volunteer at JA Finance Park


Inspire New Jersey's Next Generation of Leaders

Help guide and mentor middle and high school students as they put their skills to the test at JA’s Finance Park.

After completing classroom lessons, students travel to JA Finance Park to leave behind their lives as teenagers and experience a day in the life of an adult.

As a volunteer you will guide a group of 6-10 students through a reality-based simulation, where students learn to budget, save, and spend for themselves, and their fictional households. You will facilitate conversations about real life decision making and share your own experiences to help bring this virtual simulation to life.

Volunteering with JA requires no advanced preparation and is a great team building experience.  We welcome individuals and groups of all sizes.

At a glance…

JA Finance Park Staff is on site to help coach and ensure a successful day. Volunteer attire is Business Casual or Company apparel. All program materials are provided on arrival.

Time: 8:15am - 2:00pm        
Location: JA Education Center, 360 Pear Blossom Drive, Edison, NJ 08837   
Training: 1-hour on the morning of your scheduled    
Prep Time: None      

Daily Schedule: 

8:15am        Volunteer Arrival
8:30am        Volunteer Overview & Training
9:30am        Student Arrival/Morning Announcements
11:30am      Lunch (provided for volunteers)
1:45pm        Student Debriefing/Closing Announcements

What to expect on your day as a volunteer mentor...

  • Upon students' arrival, volunteers are assigned a group of (6-10) students to work with for the day.
  • Students each receive a tablet for use during the simulation, where they will learn about their fictional adult life situation.
  • Led by volunteers, students explore realistic spending categories, including housing, transportation, utilities, and child care, to name a few.
  • Based on their fictional net monthly income students create a budget and make spending decisions.
  • Students then revisit each storefront to pay their bills with their given debit card.
  • The day wraps up with a group debrief, listening to all the students' light bulb moments that they discovered along the way.
  • JA Staff provides all materials, volunteer guides and ongoing support throughout the simulation.

JA Finance Park (Virtual)

For more information about the JA Finance Park (Virtual) program, visit the JA Finance Park (Virtual) program page.

JA Finance Park Advanced

For more information about the JA Finance Park Advanced program, visit the JA Finance Park Advanced program page.

 
 

 
 
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