~Wayne Huizenga speaks out for education to impressive gathering of local business leaders at Broward College~

Top business leaders recently gathered to envision the dawning of a day when they’ll be replaced in the boardrooms by graduates of JA World, Huizenga Center, the world’s largest facility of its kind that’s currently under construction on the north campus of Broward College (formerly Broward Community College) in Coconut Creek.

Similar in concept to the much smaller 15,000-square-foot JA BizTown in Tampa, JA World will provide fifth and eighth graders with the opportunity to rule the business world for a day upon completion of a Junior Achievement-provided 35-hour curriculum.

The one-story, 59,000-square-foot building will contain two distinct programs: JA BizTown for fifth graders, comprising 22,000 square feet of space, and JA Finance Park for eighth graders, to be 24,000 square feet. There are 31 similar Junior Achievement programs throughout the world.

“JA World exemplifies entrepreneurism,” Huizenga told a reporter. “Imagine, 360 kids a day will learn what business is all about and how to compete in it. Teaching and reading about business and finance is one thing, but actually doing it is a far better way to learn. There was nothing like this when I was a kid.”

The potential impact this program can have locally isn’t an overstatement when one considers nearly 50,000 students will pass through its doors annually upon its planned opening in May 2009. “JA World will give young entrepreneurs-to-be a 1,000 percent immersion in how to use educational concepts and skills in an adult world,” noted Melissa Aiello, Junior Achievement of South Florida president.

The college approved a one dollar-per-year, 30-year renewable lease to Junior Achievement on more than five acres, estimated by Armstrong to be worth $2.5 million.

JA World’s Huizenga Center will also house the organization’s staff offices currently located on Atlantic Boulevard in Pompano Beach, and contain the Leo Goodwin Foundation Business Hall of Fame.

For more information please call 954-788-8422, ext. 14; fax 954-788-5653; write to: 2335 Atlantic Blvd., Suite 200, Pompano Beach, FL 33062; or visit www.jasouthflorida.org.