Junior Achievement of North Florida announced April 14 that Daily’s, operated by First Coast Energy LLP, has entered into a 10-year agreement to be a Signature Storefront Partner in JA BizTown at the proposed Junior Achievement Experiential Learning Center.
“Daily’s has been a valued partner for many years, and this commitment reflects a meaningful step forward,” Shannon Italia, president of Junior Achievement of North Florida said in a news release.
“This is exactly the kind of leadership we need from Jacksonville-based companies as we work to bring the Experiential Learning Center to life.”
In January, Junior Achievement and Florida State officials announced a partnership to establish the center through a 50-year land lease agreement at Florida State College at Jacksonville’s Downtown campus.
The center will allow students to experience running businesses, earning paychecks, managing budgets and exploring career pathways through simulations that bridge classroom learning with real-world application, according to Junior Achievement.
The $15 million learning center is driven by a capital campaign. Kat Clark Espinosa, Junior Achievement of North Florida vice president of operations, said in January about $4 million had been pledged with another $5 million needed to break ground on the 35,000-square-foot center planned between Broad and Jefferson streets north of State Street.
The center is projected to serve more than 30,000 students annually from across Northeast Florida, according to a news release announcing the project.
Through experiences such as JA BizTown for grades 4-6 and JA Finance Park for grades 7-12, JA offers students a chance to develop financial capability, acquire workforce readiness skills and develop career confidence, the nonprofit says.
“Our vision is for JA BizTown to mirror the Jacksonville business community,” Italia said.
“That means bringing together companies and industry sectors that are essential to our region’s economic success - so students can begin building an early understanding of how our local economy works and where they might see themselves in the future.”
Bobby Price, chief financial officer of First Coast Energy, is on the Junior Achievement of North Florida board of directors. In addition, Aubrey Edge, president and CEO of Daily’s, has been a longtime supporter.
Construction of the 35,000-square-foot Experiential Learning Center is targeted to begin this year, and a soft opening is projected for fall 2027.