Junior Achievement Discovery Center Housing Partner

HBA: HBA of Greater Aiken Augusta Region

Category: HBA Operations

Location: Augusta, GA

Size: Local Association: 201-600 members

Year: 2023

The Junior Achievement Discovery Center has a program for sixth and seventh graders in the counties that the HBA serves. The program exposes middle schoolers to jobs in the home building industry and shows how credit, budgeting, and financial choices affect what type of housing can be afforded down the road. Next school year, the program will be adding honor students from eleventh and twelfth grades to simulate an economy and manage a household and personal finances, including housing.

Association members volunteer approximately one to two times a month with kids to answer any questions about the home building industry and job opportunities. The partnership represents the first time in Junior Achievement history that an HBA has been the housing partner.

The HBA received a $3,500 grant from NAHB and partners like the Realtors Association, Habitat for Humanity, and the Mortgage Bankers Association. Additionally, many members stepped up to provide program funding for the next five years. The $100,000 commitment over five years is the largest investment the association has ever made.