With a donation of $1 million, EverBank will be the presenting sponsor of JA BizTown in the JA Experiential Learning Center that Junior Achievement of North Florida is planning for the Florida State College at Jacksonville Downtown campus.
It is the largest contribution to date, JANFL said.
“EverBank’s investment represents a pivotal moment for this project,” Shannon Italia, president of Junior Achievement of North Florida, said in a May 13 news release. “As our largest investor to date, their leadership accelerates our path to groundbreaking and reflects a broader movement of organizations coming together to invest in the future of our community.”
“We’re proud to support the development of Junior Achievement’s Experiential Learning Center to give young people the tools, confidence and real-world perspective to build long-term financial well being.” EverBank Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Renuka Patel said in the release.
The JA Experiential Learning Center will bring together JA BizTown and JA Finance Park to deliver learning experiences for as many as 30,000 students in Northeast Florida annually. At full scale, the center is expected to serve approximately 30,000 students annually.
Within JA BizTown, students will step into the roles of employees, business leaders and consumers making decisions, managing finances and experiencing how a local economy operates.
In JA Finance Park, students will make financial decisions based on a simulated life scenario that includes a job, income and family responsibilities. The program emphasizes budgeting, saving, credit management and career exploration.
JANFL said it is working to move the project into the construction phase by the end of 2026, supported by engagement from corporate partners and the organization’s Groundbreakers initiative.
The ELC is part of a $15 million capital campaign to expand Junior Achievement’s reach and impact in Northeast Florida.
EverBank also supports JANFL through its Touchdowns for Tomorrow program developed in partnership with the Jacksonville Jaguars partnership with the Jacksonville Jaguars to bring early financial education to schools in North Florida. For every regular season Jaguars touchdown, both home and away, EverBank pledges $500 to JANFL.