MCF NEWS ARCHIVES
3/22/05

The Best Buy Children’s Foundation, Richfield, has bolstered its commitment to help Junior Achievement (JA Worldwide) educate the business moguls of tomorrow by investing more than $1.3 million in a new version of "JA Titan," an online business simulation for high school students that allows them to take on the responsibilities of a CEO of a fictional corporation. Emulating the business cycle of a real corporation, the students make budgetary decisions impacting product pricing, capital investment, production, marketing, and research and development.

The original business simulation initially was developed with a previous grant of $1.2 million from the Foundation.

During 2005 and 2006, JA Worldwide will dramatically enhance the current online version, create a new CD-ROM version, and expand the JA Titan National Championship Competition. The new, Web-based version of JA Titan will incorporate additional economic scenarios, more sophisticated character development, advanced game play options, and the introduction of corporate citizenship. The re-imagined JA Titan will serve as JA’s flagship business simulation, impacting tens of thousands of teens nationwide.

"The original gift from The Best Buy Children’s Foundation in 2002 allowed JA to dramatically upgrade JA Titan," said David S. Chernow, president and CEO of JA Worldwide. "With this latest contribution, JA Worldwide can expand on an already robust program, giving more young people the opportunity to learn the economics of life through this fun and educational simulation."

Funding provided by The Best Buy Children’s Foundation will enable students all across the U.S. to compete through regional competitions and ultimately in a national event, to be held in Florida at Walt Disney World Resorts.

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