Clive Community Foundation: Invested in Financial Literacy of Our Youth
Shannon Gerard
When it comes to living and working in the “real world”, it can be hard for younger kids to imagine what to expect. Luckily, our community has a great resource in Junior Achievement’s “JA BizTown,” a simulated community offering a fun way to integrate lessons on financial literacy and work and career readiness. School educators are provided with materials for in-class lessons before and after visiting JA BizTown. During a 4- to 5-hour simulation on-site with realistic sets of store fronts and business offices, kids are able to learn about various careers and businesses, apply for jobs they’re interested in, and even work in the job for the day to experience what it’s like to be both the consumer and the employee.
“This past year, we had 56 kids in 6th grade from Crestview School of Learning visit JA BizTown,” said Shannon Gerard, Junior Achievement senior manager of experiential learning. While Iowa schools pay a fee for the JA BizTown experience, Clive’s Crestview School of Learning was provided with a payment discount thanks to a Clive Community Foundation grant awarded to Junior Achievement for the 2019/2020 school year. Because Crestview 
School of Learning has higher free and reduced lunch student percentage, Junior Achievement recognized the grant support would help many families in the community. “Grants are very crucial to our existence. Ultimately, it lets the students experience the impact of our program,” Gerard added.
With a focus on three core areas of community betterment—Quality of Life, Health and Wellness, and Collaboration—Clive Community Foundation chose Junior Achievement as a grant recipient for its contribution to preparing our youth for successful futures. Thank you to Clive Community Foundation donors for contributing to these hands-on lessons that impact our children’s financial, career and work readiness potential!
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