Dalton Utilities - OptiLink Partners with Junior Achievement of Georgia to Launch Immersive Facility Bringing Learning to Life for Middle School Students
JA Discovery Center of Greater Dalton to Impact 13,500 Local Students
DALTON, Ga., March 5, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Dalton Utilities - OptiLink announces its partnership with Junior Achievement (JA) of Georgia, and their efforts to bring relevance, authenticity and application into everyday learning to energize students around academics and their future possibilities. Dalton Utilities - OptiLink will support the development and implementation of JA BizTown® and JA Finance Park®, programs that will run within the first hybrid facility in the state and will impact 13,500 Northwest Georgia middle school students annually.
This facility will be the fourth JA Discovery Center in Georgia and will be located on the new Hammond Creek Middle School campus opening in Spring 2021. In partnership with the business and school communities, JA BizTown® and JA Finance Park® have impacted more than 400,000 students across the state in the past seven years.
"We are thrilled to be able to deepen our impact in Northwest Georgia with this state-of-the-art center," said John Hancock, President and Chief Executive Officer, JA of Georgia. "This project is a testament to the commitment the business and education communities in Dalton have to ensuring the next generation is prepared for their futures."
The 15,000 sq. ft. hybrid space will combine both JA BizTown and JA Finance Park to offer an experiential simulation to middle school students from Dalton Public Schools, Calhoun City Schools, Gordon County Schools, Murray County Schools and Whitfield County Schools.
JA BizTown creates a comprehensive experience where students are able to interact within a simulated economy and take on the challenge of fueling a business. Students not only discover the intricacies of being a professional and member of the community, but also realize the abundance of opportunities available within their city.
JA Finance Park provides students the rare opportunity to experience their personal financial futures first-hand. Students participate in an immersive simulation that enables them to develop skills to successfully navigate today's complex economic environment and discover how decisions today can impact tomorrow.
"Dalton Utilities is excited and honored to be part of such a great endeavor as the JA Discovery Center", said Tom Bundros, CEO of Dalton Utilities. "This facility will serve to educate students in Northwest Georgia on critical aspects of everyday life and the value of our economic system. Our community will continue to reap the rewards for many years to come."
With the opening of this facility, more than 100,000 students will participate in JA Finance Park and JA BizTown annually. This type of 360-degree, hands-on learning has led to 97 percent of teachers noting that participation in these programs helped their students understand the importance of setting real-world long-term goals.
We will be at the Grand Opening of the JA Discovery Center of Greater Dalton on March 4, 2021 at 4:00 PM at
328 Pleasant Grove Drive NE, Dalton, GA 30721.
About Junior Achievement of Georgia
Junior Achievement (JA) of Georgia is dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make educated academic and economic choices. JA learning solutions are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences to students from kindergarten through high school. JA of Georgia offers multiple programs, including in-class programs, 3DE by Junior Achievement, JA BizTown and JA Finance Park, all of which focus on entrepreneurship, personal financial literacy and workforce readiness. JA of Georgia serves more than 175,000 students annually statewide, including 13,000 in the Dalton area. JA of Georgia's headquarters is in Atlanta with regional offices in Dalton, Gainesville, and Savannah. For more information, visit georgia.ja.org.
About Dalton Utilities
Dalton Utilities has operated as a public utility since 1889. Dalton Utilities provides potable water, electrical, natural gas and wastewater treatment services to the City of Dalton and portions of Whitfield, Murray, Gordon, Catoosa and Floyd counties. Beginning in 1999, Dalton Utilities branched into telecommunications with broadband services to large industrial/commercial customers. In 2003, Dalton Utilities launched its OptiLink family of services and now provides broadband, cable TV, telephone and Internet services to area residents and businesses. Dalton Utilities serves approximately 50,000 customers and employs over 300 area residents.
Media Contact
Kay Phillips, Dalton Utilities, +1 706-270-2002, [email protected]
Sarah Lippert, Junior Achievement of Georgia, 404-702-4578, [email protected]
SOURCE Dalton Utilities
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