NILES, Ohio – The Cafaro Foundation is donating $100,000 to the JA Discovery Center which is under development by Junior Achievement of Eastern Ohio at the Eastwood Mall Complex.
“It is so important that we create strong financial literacy for our children,” said William A. Cafaro, a trustee of The Cafaro Foundation. “We hope this grant will go a long way toward helping Junior Achievement make that goal a reality.”
The donation will be used to facilitate the construction and operation of JA Discovery Center’s two components. JA BizTown and JA Finance Park combine classroom learning with hands-on simulations to teach financial literacy, work readiness and career exploration.
At JA BizTown, students in fourth through sixth grades run businesses, manage finances and engage in real-world decision making. JA Finance Park builds on these concepts, guiding students in grades seven through 12 through personal financial planning and budgeting based on real-life scenarios.
Michele Merkel, JA of Eastern Ohio president, emphasized the importance of the program.
“The students who walk through the doors of the JA Discovery Center are more than learners – they are our future workforce, our future neighbors, our future civic leaders and yes, our future donors,” she said. “Helping them discover their talents and envision their futures here is one of the best economic development initiatives our region can make.”
The Cafaro Foundation is a charitable entity established by the Cafaro family in memory of William M. Cafaro, the founder of the real estate development and management company that bears his name. For more than a half century, Cafaro, his wife Alyce and brother John A. Cafaro, supported churches, schools, hospitals and other charitable causes. Since its inception in 1996, the Cafaro Foundation has awarded over $28 million in grants to organizations and individuals.