It seems counterintuitive that in a year marked by a sudden 'pause' in nearly all aspects as life as we knew it, we in fact made more physical expansion progress than any other year to date.
JA of Georgia has had significant presence outside of metro Atlanta for decades, primarily in two markets - Dalton and Savannah. Summer and fall were spent making headway in both of those areas, leading to exciting reveals in the spring.
When you train them [kids] in a direction toward business, you are training them in a direction toward accomplishment. We want them to be exposed to the opportunity that business and entrepreneurship pro-vide. It's about having the right attitude. Bob Shaw, Chairman and CEO, Engineered Floors
The JA Discovery Center of Greater Dalton opened in March, thanks to the partnership with Dalton Public Schools and support from Engineered Floors, and more than twenty local and national partners.
Alliant Health Plans, Chick-fil-A Northwest Georgia Operators, City of Dalton, Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia, Dalton State College, Dalton Utilities OptiLink, Dorsett Industries, Engineered Floors, First Bank of Dalton, Ford of Dalton, Georgia Northwestern Technical College, Georgia Power, Georgia United Credit Union, Hamilton Healthcare System, Marketing Alliance Group, Mercedes-Benz USA, Shaw Industries, Starr Mathews, Textile, Rubber and Chemical Company, and United Way of Northwest Georgia all have a physical presence in the space.
It was so much fun to watch the space go from rendering to reality, and welcoming students through the doors was a timely sign of life starting to resemble a normalcy we had so missed.
While our center in Dalton came full circle during the past year, we swung hammers and looked toward beginning construction in Savannah. The JA Colonial Group Discovery Center of Savannah will occupy 25,000 square feet of space on Georgia Southern University's Armstrong Campus, and will serve more than 15,000 local students.
There is tremendous alignment between the missions of our organizations. This gives us the opportunity to work every day for the betterment of our own organizations, but also to develop the next generation of leaders who will shape our communities, inspire innovation, create solutions and impact countless others. Dr. Kyle Marrero, President, Georgia Southern University
The center will have representation from various local and national businesses – Chick-fil-A, Colonial Group, Inc., Georgia United Credit Union, Gulfstream Aerospace, Publix, South State Bank, Thomas & Hutton, and United Way of the Coastal Empire have committed to date – that will provide students a glimpse into possible career paths, as well as an opportunity to be an employee of the business for the day.
We’ve been avid supporters of JA’s mission over the years, due in large part to the alignment of our missions. I think the businesses in Savannah are beneficiaries of their work with our students because these are the people that will become the employees, leaders and contributors in our community. We are very excited for this opportunity to further that mission and strengthen the foundation JA is cultivating in our youth. Christian Demere, CEO, Colonial Group, Inc.
Once this center is open in early 2022, our JA Discovery Centers will collectively impact more than 110,000 middle school students across the state. We will have a physical presence in nearly every corner of Georgia, with plans to continue expansion in the coming years. We are so proud of the work that happens every day in JA Discovery Centers, and we look forward to giving more students a window into their futures.