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Scandia Elementary presents JA BizTown and exhibition tie-in as district expansion of career and financial-literacy lessons
Summary
Scandia Elementary staff described a program that brings Junior Achievement's BizTown to fifth graders, linking career exploration, financial literacy and an IB-aligned exhibition; administrators plan districtwide adoption as part of the achievement & integration plan.
Scandia Elementary staff told the board May 1 that Junior Achievement's BizTown program is being integrated into fifth-grade work across Forest Lake Area Schools, pairing classroom financial- and career-readiness lessons with a capstone field trip and a cross-curricular exhibition.
Principal Shannon Carafel introduced the program and said BizTown is embedded across language arts, social studies and math standards and is part of the district's achievement and integration plan. "It is hands on and immersive," she said, describing a classroom sequence that culminates in a 4- to 5-hour in-person experience where students operate a mock town.
Teacher Bethany Lechshied (phonetic) shared lesson details: students learn financial literacy (banks, checks, savings), community economics and career readiness (speed interviews, mock elections), and business management (loans, personnel and basic accounting). Carafel and staff said volunteers from the community run BizTown businesses during the capstone, providing real-world mentorship and practice.
AJ Hanson, the school's IB coach, described how Scandia is soft-launching its existing sixth-grade exhibition as a fifth-grade integrated product by adopting BizTown. Students will construct a "Me When I'm 40" portfolio page and a five-page school newspaper called the Scandia Gazette to present at an exhibition day. "We're giving students a vehicle to apply the things that they are learning to real-life skills," Hanson said.
Students and advisers presented related district programs. The student-led RISE group, which promotes substance-free activities, presented survey data on healthy choices and recent campus events such as a pickleball tournament involving 88 participants. Adviser Carrie Caldwell and student representatives noted the program's positive survey results and ongoing community activities.
Why this matters: administrators cast BizTown as a platform for leadership, career awareness and soft-skill development that is scalable across elementary schools. The district says the program meets multiple state standards and will provide an early pipeline into middle- and high-school career-exploration activities.
Next steps: Scandia will expand the exhibition model, print student newspapers, and the district will roll components of BizTown districtwide as part of the revised achievement and integration plan.
