Alabama Power partners with Junior Achievement of Alabama to connect students with career opportunities

Why do students drop out of school? There are numerous causes, but national studies show a primary reason is they don’t connect the relevance of the classroom instruction they receive to the real world — or to their future.

That’s why Alabama Power joined forces with Junior Achievement of Alabama to connect students with real-world career exploration through the Junior Achievement McWane Economic Education Center. Located in downtown Birmingham, the McWane Economic Education Center is an immersive, state-of-the art learning lab that provides students in the 6th and 8th grades with hands-on opportunities to explore financial literacy, career readiness and entrepreneurship.

Through the combination of a preparatory weeks-long curriculum taught in their classrooms and a day-long experience with the latest in interactive technology at the Center, students gain opportunities to better prepare for adult life, while learning the connection between hard work and career success.

The Junior Achievement McWane Economic Education Center features two interactive learning environments: JA Finance Park and JA BizTown. As part of its partnership with Junior Achievement, Alabama Power created a “storefront” in Finance Park where students learn about the company and explore the variety of career opportunities it offers, including salary expectations and the educational and physical requirements for each role. Featured careers include lineworker, customer care associate, maintenance specialist, environmental affairs specialist, community development specialist, accountant, communications specialist, safety team leader and engineer.

“Through our partnership with Junior Achievement of Alabama, we are helping students connect classroom learning to real-world opportunities,” said Staci Brown Brooks, vice president of Alabama Power Charitable Giving. “We believe every student deserves the chance to see how their education can lead to a successful future. Through Alabama Power’s storefront, students can explore career paths and gain practical insight into the skills, training, and opportunities available to them.”

The experience at the Center enables students to step into family and income scenarios centered on financial decision-making they will encounter throughout their adult lives. They learn how career choices, income, budgeting, expenses and personal goals are interconnected. The experience helps them understand the impact of financial decisions, equipping them with knowledge and confidence to plan for both immediate needs and future aspirations.

The Center plans to host 20,000 students annually, representing at least 10 school systems. It will offer a summer camp, along with one-day camp experiences on “off” school days, as well as entrepreneurial and career exploration programming that includes field trips and events on evenings and weekends. Each year, an estimated 4,000 adult volunteers from nearly 40 corporate partners will work with the students.

“Junior Achievement has been teaching young people about business and economics for many years,” said Chip Reed, president of Junior Achievement of Alabama. “One of the truly special aspects of this new program at the Junior Achievement McWane Economic Education Center is the career connected nature of what we’re doing. Partners like Alabama Power are necessary to make the connection between classroom and future… it has to feel real. Together, we’re preparing students for what’s next in life in a memorable and impactful way.”

Junior Achievement of Alabama began in 1954, part of the national organization that was founded in 1919. Today, the organization’s mission remains inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Their student-centered approach empowers students to become the workforce, community leaders, business owners, and agents of change who will shape the future of their communities and the nation.