BY ANNABETH, CALEB, KEIRA, SETH, ZAMAR, AND ZERA

Imagine a place where kids are adults for a day. Welcome to JA Biztown! On October 27, Hollywood Hills Elementary’s fifth grade students went on a field trip to JA Biztown.

“Students learned the responsibilities they need to have a job and earn a paycheck. They learned how to put their money into a bank account and how our society runs,” fifth grade teacher Mrs. Calabrese said.

JA Biztown has everything a regular town would have. It has food, money, and stores. The students were assigned different jobs and learned how to be responsible.

“The best part was experiencing and feeling what it is like to have a real job. I learned a lot of financial stuff like how to use a credit card. I learned what CEOs have to do and that having a job is not easy,” fifth grade student Jaela said.

For many students, JA Biztown was a learning experience. They learned about finance and how to manage money.

“I saw the students learning and the light bulbs going off. The students were telling me that they didn’t know how you pay bills and they didn’t know all you had to go through when you were at the bank. I think for me, being the educator, I enjoyed watching the students realize that it is not just getting money and spending it, but how they have to break up how that money is being used. It was a great field trip,” paraprofessional Ms. L said.

JA Biztown provides students with an opportunity to become adults. They work together to be successful at their jobs.

“Students learn how it could be in the future. It teaches you how to be an adult,” fifth grade student Shai said.