Culler Middle School students learned how the puzzle pieces of a town come together to form a winning civic picture.

Dozens of Cougars became bankers, doctors and construction managers in the Junior Achievement of Lincoln BizTown simulation this fall. Sixth graders acted as citizens of a fictional community that was set up in the school library. They received their own debit cards to use at stores, entered payroll items on iPad screens and sold goods ranging from fruit snacks to fast cars.

Alaa and Sagan said they were enjoying their BizTown experiences. Alaa was chief financial officer of a bank and Sagan was chief executive officer of an insurance company. They said it was a good feeling to figure out how to make smart financial decisions.

“I’m learning how to shop and how to save up money,” Alaa said. “It’s been really good.”

“I’ve learned that you don’t get a lot of money,” Sagan said. “It’s important to budget.”

Thayne was also happy to be a BizTown citizen. He smiled as he stood in line at the bank to receive his personalized debit card. He said the activity gave him more confidence about what his daily schedule will look like as an adult.

“I think it’s fun,” Thayne said. “I feel like if this is what it really feels like in the real world, then I’m not as nervous about the future. I think it will be more fun, because working with people, it’s going to have its ups and downs, but eventually it’s going to have its big up.”

Culler teacher Austin Gydesen felt the Cougars were gaining many benefits from living in BizTown. Each Cougar completed career tasks in pre-assigned jobs throughout the city. They filled roles at a bank, hospital, auto dealer, grocery store, airport, convenience store, construction company, dog rescue facility, financial service company, insurance business, industrial center and city office.

Everyone received two paychecks that were electronically deposited on their debit card. They then had to decide which services or goods they wanted to purchase and if they had enough money to do so. At the auto dealer, for example, they had to determine whether they should buy an affordable sedan or spend all of their savings on an expensive race car.

“When I was in school, we didn’t have anything like this,” Gydesen said. “Even in high school business class, we didn’t have a learning environment like this. For a lot of people, the first time you do these things is when you get your first job, so for them to get some experience in a BizTown simulation like this is huge.”

Junior Achievement (JA) of Lincoln Director of Education Mindy Hope joined other local business professionals who worked with students during the day. She said business, marketing and information technology (BMIT) teachers have been thrilled with the educational value the program brings. JA of Lincoln will hold similar simulations for all LPS sixth graders through the end of November.

“When we talk to teachers and get their feedback, the top thing we hear is how much students are learning from the hands-on part of it,” Hope said. “You can definitely see them learning in real time. They’re encountering problems, coming up with solutions and figuring out how to use all of these important financial skills.”

Gydesen helped the Cougars prepare for BizTown with several key BMIT lessons. They studied core business ideas such as supply and demand, budgeting principles and commodity prices, and they practiced setting prices for various services and goods. They also discovered how to fill out deposit tickets, write paychecks, take out bank loans and create sustainable budgets.

“They were learning all of these financial literacy things that help people survive in the real world,” Gydesen said.

The BizTown simulation let them put those lessons into practice in a realistic setting. Every student began the activity by reading about and practicing their specific tasks. CFOs became skilled at issuing direct deposit paychecks, doctors laid out their stethoscopes and auto team members went over their sales pitches.

Kadance displayed her work ethic by helping her team arrange multiple supermarket items on chairs and tables. She said her job as CEO of the Culler Mart grocery store let her practice her leadership skills.

“I’ve learned that it’s fun to make decisions about different things,” Kadance said.

Groups of students then took turns working and shopping. Some storeowners discovered that they had set their initial prices too high, and others soon realized they needed to send new orders for fast-selling products.

The Cougars also noticed that taxes had been taken out of their paychecks. They discovered how cities use taxes to pave roads, maintain parks and offer public services. They also understood that they needed to take this into account while setting their personal budgets.

Hope said she has watched many local students become more poised and reassured by the time they leave BizTown. She said those valuable personal traits are some of the educational program’s most important byproducts.

“This is something that is really big for their confidence,” Hope said. “It’s really fun to just watch them grow in front of your eyes. They’re able to connect all of these financial literacy topics to their futures, and they know that they’re going to be okay.”

Learn how LPS students are benefiting from the many BMIT classes available at their schools.

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