Junior Achievement Biz Town – Portland, Oregon
Services Employed: Architectural Design
CLIENT: Junior Achievement - Columbia Empire
CLIENT GOAL: Create a fun interactive place for kids to learn about our free market system.
DESIGN RESPONSE: Designed to operate like a city, Biz Town has it’s own City Hall, utilities and small businesses, including Fred Meyer, Best Buy, Intel, Weyerhouser, Key Bank, a Gas and Electric Utility, Qwest, and UPS. Most of these are sponsored by local businesses. Fifth graders complete 18 hours of in-classroom learning in preparation for the Biz Town experience. During their one day immersion in Biz Town they have real world responsibilities and learn to interview and apply for jobs, sell goods and services, and of course, receive a paycheck which they use to buy snacks and other products from the town businesses. Each “store-front” was designed to reflect the business it houses. Bold colors and big graphics help give the large space added energy even when the kids aren’t at work.
