This year, JA Chambertown expanded to include nine schools and served approximately 2,000 students in Northwest Indiana.

The Crossroads Chamber, in partnership with Junior Achievement of Chicago, recently hosted the annual JA Chambertown event at the Dean and Barbara White Community Center. Students across the Region learned about budgeting and financial management. The event aimed to help students understand the costs of daily life and make informed financial decisions.

“JA Chambertown is a testament to the power of collaboration—when schools, businesses and volunteers come together, we create real-world learning experiences that inspire the next generation to take charge of their financial futures,” said Rosyln Malouhous, Junior Achievement of Chicago's NW Indiana Division director, in a press release.

Deann Patena, Crossroads Chamber CEO and president, called the event an example of the power of collaboration between education and the business community.

“By engaging students in real-world financial scenarios, we are helping to prepare them for success in their future careers and personal financial management,” Patena said. “It’s inspiring to see our local businesses invest in the next generation.”

JA Chambertown operates as a simulated town filled with businesses, where students engage in budgeting for necessities such as food, housing, savings and investments. Local businesses participate by sponsoring streets named after them, allowing them to play an active role in student education.

“When our 8th graders participate in this program each year, it gives them a new outlook on planning for their future—they have an opportunity to think differently about their high school coursework and what their goals might be,” Arthur Equihua, Crown Point Community School Corp. chief human resource officer, said. “For some of them, it's the first chance they get to think critically about a career interest.”