Our New Philanthropy Store at JA Discovery Center

On September 14, 2021, we unveiled our new philanthropy store at the Junior Achievement Discovery Center Gwinnett in Discovery High School, in partnership with the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. Located in the JA Finance Park within the center, the philanthropy store allows students to experience the importance of giving time, talent and treasure.

“At the Community Foundation we view financial literacy for our students as critical to their development and understanding of philanthropy later in life,” said Randy Redner, CEO/President of the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia. “We felt this investment with Junior Achievement of Georgia through partnering with the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta on the Philanthropy Store allows us to accomplish both of these objectives.”

Every year more than 25,000 middle school students from Gwinnett County Public Schools have the opportunity to take part in JA BizTown and JA Finance Park. Following a series of in-class lessons, the JA Discovery Center brings education to life and provides students with an immersive learning experience that gives them a glimpse of what their futures can entail.

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, attendees heard from John Hancock, the CEO of Junior Achievement of Georgia, Frank Fernandez, the CEO of the Greater Atlanta Community Foundation, and Aaron Lupuloff, the Senior Executive Director of the GCPS Foundation.

“We have a responsibility to give back in anyway we can and this store helps accomplish that,” said Frank Fernandez, the CEO of the Greater Atlanta Community Foundation. “We’re excited to be here with our friends at the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia. One of the things we want to do more, that the pandemic has taught us, is increased collaboration on issues across the region. We immediately thought of the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia when this opportunity became available and are thrilled about this partnership.”

“We are so excited to welcome The Community Foundation of Northeast Georgia into our JA Discovery Center at Gwinnett,” said John Hancock, president and CEO, Junior Achievement of Georgia. “The Community Foundation has such an impact across our broader community and will allow our JA Finance Park students to better understand that impact and experience the power of philanthropy in their own lives.”