Ribbon-cutting celebration for Atlanta CASA’s partnership with Junior Achievement of Georgia

Middle school students learning to manage a household budget at Junior Achievement’s Atlanta Discovery Center will also encounter an organization built around helping children: Atlanta CASA.

The nonprofit has joined JA Finance Park, adding philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy to a setting where students practice making financial decisions. Atlanta CASA recruits and trains volunteers to advocate for children experiencing foster care in Fulton County.

The partnership, announced Oct. 27, gives CASA a presence in the JA Chick-fil-A Discovery Center at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta.

A household budget, with lessons beyond spending

In JA Finance Park, seventh- and eighth-grade students receive an assigned life situation, including an education level, salary and family circumstances. They then work through the costs of housing, utilities, food and other needs while trying to stay within their means.

The visit follows classroom lessons on personal finance. Students explore borrowing and credit scores, and volunteers help them connect the exercise to decisions adults make outside the classroom.

CASA’s addition introduces the work of a community nonprofit within that financial-learning environment. The organization wants students to consider how they can contribute through service and advocacy as well as money.

“When we connect young people to opportunity and inspire them to become advocates for others, we do more than change individual lives,” Atlanta CASA CEO Domonique Cooper said in a written statement announcing the partnership.

A connection to Fulton County children

CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. Its volunteers support children who have experienced abuse or neglect, advocating for their safety, education and a permanent, stable home.

The Atlanta Discovery Center serves students from Atlanta Public Schools, DeKalb County Schools, Fulton County Schools and Marietta City Schools through JA BizTown and JA Finance Park. Junior Achievement says more than 30,000 middle school students each year have the opportunity to participate in the two programs. That figure covers the center’s programs overall, rather than the new CASA partnership alone.

For families and educators, the partnership connects two kinds of learning: how to manage personal resources and how people support others in their community. Adults interested in CASA’s advocacy work can learn about volunteering through Atlanta CASA.