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Junior Achievement Opens State-of-the-Art Financial-Literacy Centers in Oklahoma City

  //business-finance.news-articles.net/content/202 .. financial-literacy-centers-in-oklahoma-city.html
  Published in Business and Finance on Monday, December 8th 2025 at 7:19 GMT by The Oklahoman

Junior Achievement of Oklahoma’s Financial‑Literacy Centers: Empowering the Next Generation in Oklahoma City

In an August 2025 editorial that has quickly become a go‑to resource for educators, policymakers, and parents alike, The Oklahoman profiles the Junior Achievement (JA) of Oklahoma’s groundbreaking work in financial literacy across the state’s capital. By weaving together interviews with program directors, testimonials from students, and hard‑hitting data on student outcomes, the piece paints a compelling picture of how JA’s newly inaugurated financial‑literacy centers are reshaping the way Oklahoma City’s youth think about money, careers, and civic responsibility.

1. The “Why” Behind JA’s Expansion

The article opens with a brief historical overview of Junior Achievement—an international nonprofit that has been training young people in the fundamentals of economics and entrepreneurship since 1919. The Oklahoman’s reporters highlight the pressing need that sparked JA’s latest investment in Oklahoma City: a 2024 state‑wide survey that found that more than 65 % of high‑school students had never managed a bank account, and an alarming 47 % were unaware of how to budget or save for future goals.

“Junior Achievement was asked, ‘What can we do to close this gap and help students get a head start in the real world?’” says the article’s lead, noting that the organization’s answer was to open a dedicated financial‑literacy center—a hub where teachers and students can access technology, curriculum, and mentorship in a space that feels like a modern classroom rather than a lecture hall.

2. The Centers’ Design and Mission

The piece then turns to the centers themselves, which the reporters describe as “the new front lines of financial education.” Each center is a two‑story, 5,000‑sq‑ft building that blends state‑of‑the‑art simulation labs with hands‑on learning zones. The Oklahoman quotes Lisa Ortega, JA’s Director of Curriculum Development, who explains that the centers are designed to mimic the business environment. “You have a trading floor, a loan‑approval office, a budgeting workshop, even a real‑time tax‑simulation room,” Ortega says. “The goal is to let students experience the full spectrum of financial decision‑making in a safe, supportive setting.”

The article notes that the centers are open to students from all districts in Oklahoma City, and that JA partners with local high schools to run weekly after‑school programs. Each student receives a “Financial Literacy Passport,” a passport‑style logbook where they earn stamps for completing modules such as “Credit Basics,” “Investment 101,” and “Entrepreneurial Pitch.” At the end of each semester, students can showcase a portfolio that reflects both their knowledge and their practical skills—such as creating a mock budget for a hypothetical company.

3. Partnerships That Give the Program Its Edge

A key strength of the initiative is the robust partnership network that the article outlines. In addition to the Oklahoma City Schools District, JA collaborates with:

• The City of Oklahoma City’s Office of Economic Development, which has committed a $200,000 annual grant to fund student scholarships for internships in city agencies.
• Local banks (including Bank of Oklahoma and First National Bank) that provide both financial resources and a team of “Financial Mentors” who visit the centers monthly.
• Tech firms such as IBM and Microsoft, which sponsor the interactive trading‑floor simulations and give students access to proprietary data analytics tools.

These partnerships are not only financial; they also ensure that the curriculum stays industry‑relevant. For example, the Oklahoman quotes David Ruiz, an economic advisor for the City of OKC, who says, “We want students to leave this program with a real understanding of how the economy functions, how policies influence markets, and most importantly, how they can make informed choices about their own financial futures.”

4. Outcomes, Success Stories, and Data

A large portion of the article is devoted to the early results of the program, supported by data from JA’s own evaluation studies. Among the highlights:

• 95 % of participants report feeling “confident” in creating a budget by the end of the first year.
• 80 % of students who completed the “Entrepreneurial Pitch” module secured a seed‑fund of $500–$1,000 from the city’s micro‑grant program to launch a small business idea.
• A follow‑up survey of alumni shows that 30 % of students have begun to invest in mutual funds or a brokerage account by age 17, a significant uptick compared to the national average of 5 %.

The Oklahoman includes a short interview with Jordan Simmons, a sophomore from Oklahoma City’s Lincoln High who used the center’s resources to launch a small e‑commerce side hustle. “I never thought I’d be running a business at 15,” Simmons says. “But JA gave me the tools and the confidence. I’ve saved up enough to pay for college tuition.”

5. Challenges and Future Plans

The article does not shy away from noting challenges. One recurring theme is the digital divide: while the centers are fully equipped, not every student has reliable internet at home. To mitigate this, JA is piloting a “Bring‑Your‑Own‑Device” initiative that will allow students to borrow tablets for the week.

Another issue highlighted is the sustainability of funding. While the initial grant from the city will cover operational costs for the first three years, JA’s leadership is actively courting additional sponsors, including the state’s Department of Education and private foundations, to ensure long‑term viability. The article ends with a note on the upcoming JA National Conference, where the Oklahoma City centers will showcase their model and share best practices with educators from across the country.

6. Final Takeaway

In sum, The Oklahoman paints a detailed, data‑rich portrait of a program that is more than a series of workshops; it’s an ecosystem that brings together educators, students, industry partners, and municipal stakeholders to re‑educate a generation in the language of money, risk, and opportunity. By building a real‑world learning environment, JA’s financial‑literacy centers are helping Oklahoma City’s students move from passive observers of the economy to active, informed participants. As the article closes, the reporter echoes the sentiment of many of the students: “It’s not just about learning how to count money—it’s about learning how to make money work for you.”

For parents, educators, and policymakers looking for a blueprint to bridge the financial‑literacy gap in their own communities, the article serves as both a case study and a call to action. The JA model in Oklahoma City may just be the template that other states will need to adopt in the next decade.