Exterior rendering of the Barnett Family JA Discovery Center, located on the Tenoroc High School campus. | rhodes + brito ARCHITECTS
3-minute read

A new center under construction on the campus of Tenoroc High School will give students hands-on lessons in money, jobs and responsibility.

The Barnett Family Junior Achievement of Polk Discovery Center is expected to open in fall 2026. It will house JA BizTown and JA Finance Park.

Inside JA Biztown, fifth graders will run banks, manage businesses and even serve as mayor. At JA Finance Park, older students will learn how to budget for housing, food and healthcare.  

“It’s not just play,” said Shauna Dykes, president of Junior Achievement of Polk County. “Kids walk in as students and walk out seeing themselves as citizens, workers and even leaders.”

Why it matters

The joint Community Needs Assessment conducted by United Way of Central Florida and GiveWell Community Foundation identified education and workforce readiness as two of Polk County’s biggest gaps. Employers say too many applicants lack soft skills, teamwork and financial literacy.

Families echoed these concerns, saying schools need to do more to connect academics to real life.

“Our employers tell us the same things parents do,” Dykes said. “Students need confidence, communication and financial skills — not just test scores.” 

How it works

The new 20,000-square-foot center is projected to cost $13.3 million, according to Junior Achievement of Polk County. The Florida Legislature appropriated $750,000 in 2023-24 and $2.5 million in 2024-25. The city of Lakeland and Polk County Public Schools are contributing local funds. A capital campaign is underway, inviting local businesses to sponsor storefronts or kiosks in the center.

The Discovery Center will be a flexible space that will be configured differently for JA BizTown and JA Finance Park, transforming one building into two unique learning worlds.

JA Polk will be the first in the nation to offer BizTown, Finance Park and 3DE on one site.

JA BizTown: Fifth graders will step into a student-sized town, populated by real-life models of local Polk County businesses. They will: 

  • Understand the roles they play as citizens, workers and consumers
  • Build money management skills 
  • Explore basic business practices 

“It’s amazing to watch kids who’ve never balanced a budget suddenly realize if you don’t pay back your loan, the bank comes calling,” Dykes said. 

JA Finance Park: High schoolers will learn the basics of financial literacy. They will: 

  • Learn how to create a successful budget
  • Understand the uses, advantages and disadvantages of debit/credit cards
  • Evaluate risks and benefits of saving and investing
  • Define and explain taxes 

“We give them a salary, a family and bills,” Dykes said. “They walk out saying, ‘Wow, life is expensive.’ That’s the lesson we want to stick.”

JA Discovery Rendering 1
Floor plan of the Barnett Family JA Discovery Center, showing storefronts, training rooms, and student workspaces that will transform into BizTown or Finance Park depending on the program. | rhodes + brito ARCHITECTS

Making an impact

Junior Achievement programs have decades of results nationwide. According to the JA Alumni Report: 

  • 79% of participants say JA shaped their education, career or personal path.
  • 51% earned a college degree — vs. 33% nationally.
  • Half started or owned a business. 

“This model works everywhere it’s been tried,” Dykes said. “Now it’s Polk’s turn.”

Voices of the community

“Parents often tell us this is the kind of practical education they wish they had,” Dykes said. “And teachers see kids light up when they connect math to money or civics to running a town.” 

Inside JA BizTown Tampa Bay, a student takes on a real-world role at a storefront. Polk County 5th graders will soon have this same opportunity at the new Discovery Center. | JA Tampa Bay

Vision

Polk’s needs assessment is clear: stronger schools and workforce skills are essential. The Discovery Center offers a step forward — equipping students to manage money, explore careers, and believe in their future.

As Dykes said, “If every fifth grader in Polk County can leave here believing they’re capable of more, we’ve done our job.”

Insight Polk examines community conditions and solutions in six target areas from UCIndicators.org: economic & employment opportunity, education, housing, food security, transportation & infrastructure, and quality of life.

LkldNow’s Insight Polk independent reporting is made possible by the United Community Indicators Project with funding by GiveWell Community Foundation & United Way of Central Florida. All editorial decisions are made by LkldNow.

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Kayla Borg is a Lakeland native and graduate of Western Carolina University, where she earned her degree in English and film production. She began her media career in Atlanta at CNN, quickly rising from production assistant editor to technical director/editor, leading live broadcasts alongside field reporters. Since then, she’s worked in education, instructional design and independent filmmaking.

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2 Comments

  1. I wish this was county wide. Every developer in the county should be required to pay for their impact.

    Reply

  2. Just for Tenoroc? Kids need these skills. They are coming out of high school not knowing anything bout life. Since they took Home Ec etc out of the schools kids think that things come outta the sky and they don’t have to work for it.

    Reply
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