The Porch Visits Junior Achievement Of Oklahoma's Brick And Mortar Learning Facility

A brand new facility in Oklahoma City is enabling students to gain valuable insights into entrepreneurship and career readiness.

The Junior Achievement of Oklahoma recently opened its doors to a vibrant learning space designed to equip young people with essential job skills.

News 9's Jordan Ryan took the Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages Porch to the JA Biz Town facility to learn more.

The center features a variety of business simulations where students can immerse themselves in real-world scenarios.

Among the businesses represented is Chick-fil-A, where students can take on roles ranging from manager to counter worker.

"You need somebody to do the accounting and then you have the counter workers, you have somebody that's doing the tables, bringing in the supplies, and they all get paid," said Ed Pope, the Regional Director of Junior Achievement. "And not real money—JA Biz Town money."

Through interactive experiences, students at the facility learn about financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship.

In addition to Chick-fil-A, students engage with companies like Expand Energy, which offers insights into the engineering and oil sectors.

The program partners with local schools, allowing students to experience hands-on learning.

"This is just one program that we do, but we also do in-class and we also bring students here to our facility," Pope said.

For parents interested in getting their children involved, Pope encouraged them to reach out to their schools.