Junior Achievement of the Heartland has officially renamed its JA BizTown site the "Michael Duffy JA BizTown," honoring the late Quad-Cities business leader's longtime support. The announcement came during a press conference and open house Tuesday at the new JA Inspiration Center in Moline, a slated to open for students next month. The new 13,000 square-foot facility features 14 model storefronts, interactive exhibits and touchscreen technology.
Dougal Nelson, CEO of JA of the Heartland, said the Inspiration Center will serve more than 8,000 local students each year — a 30% increase from the former JA World facility in downtown Davenport. Local educators, media and other stakeholders tour Junior Achievement of the Heartland's new JA Biztown site — officially renamed the Michael Duffy JA Biztown — on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, during an open house of the new JA Inspiration Center in Moline.
"The Inspiration Center, as you can see, is a state-of-the-art learning facility," he said Tuesday. "It's designed to inspire and empower young minds as they prepare to embark on their professional journeys." With this increased capacity, JA can now run its Biztown and Finance Park programs simultaneously.
"The Inspiration Center remains the only facility in our area where students get to experience the roles and responsibilities of adulthood," Nelson said. "Students who spend the day at (Biztown and JA Finance Park) feel empowered to make financial decisions and work together as a business team to accomplish their goals." The entrance to Junior Achievement of the Heartland's new JA Inspiration Center in Moline — located at the Vibrant Credit Union headquarters — on Tuesday, Sept.
17, 2024. , both Biztown and Finance Park aim to develop students' work and career readiness; civic engagement, financial literacy and entrepreneurship skills via a school-based curriculum. Each culminates with a day of either simulated employment at Biztown — for fourth through sixth-grade — or simulated financial planning and career exploration at Finance Park, for grades seven through nine.
Area educators, media and other stakeholders toured the new facilities on Tuesday. Travis Benner, a fourth and fifth-grade science and social studies teacher at Blue Grass Elementary School, said the Inspiration Center reflects "modern times." "Our previous (JA World) site was a nice place, a good facility, but it's nice to see this updated for the 21st-century," he said, calling 21st-century skills a "key" focus point at Davenport schools.
"It's fresh and new, so that makes (JA) more exciting and the kids are more invested. They're really going to be ready to go." The modern design also stood out to Rachel Savage, superintendent of Moline-Coal Valley schools.
"I just love the vibrancy of each (storefront) ...
they're decorated to really replicate real world experiences," she said. "Students always reflect fondly on their Biztown experience — they take their roles really, really seriously." Similarly, Graycyn Millage and Presley Montadue — sixth-graders at John Deere Middle School in Moline — were shocked by the new facility's lifelike features.
"I was like, 'Wow,'" Graycyn said of her initial reaction, saying the fake clouds and trees in Biztown add to its simulation effect. Local educators, media and other stakeholders tour Junior Achievement (JA) of the Heartland's new Michael Duffy JA Biztown site on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Moline.
"I think it's cool how there's like, grass and a pathway instead of (the setup) before," Prelsey said. "I liked how they added actual places (local businesses.)" Last year, she said the storefronts in Biztown had "made up names" — now, students will undergo simulated employment at local businesses like Russell Construction, Kent Corporation, Jersey Mike's Subs and the Quad-City Times, to name a few.
"They also added new (Biztown) jobs, so it's cool seeing those," Graycyn said. Her and Presley both enjoyed working with others at Biztown, along with developing real-life skills such as filing paperwork on "big computers" and voting for mayor. Sixth-grader Meyer Wikoff was the Biztown Mayor for Mark Twain Elementary School in Bettendorf last year.
She said Biztown is one of her favorite memories from fifth-grade. "I can't imagine what (students) will think when they get to the new building, it's so cool," she said Tuesday. "Overall, JA Biztown helped me find out what leadership was, and it helped me figure out that I want to be a leader when I'm older .
.. Who knows? Maybe someday I'll be mayor of a real city.
" Before moving to the Inspiration Center, JA hosted its programming at the JA World facility at 116 Second St. in Davenport, for 25 years. That lease expired in July, prompting JA of the Heartland to sign a lease with Vibrant Credit Union to use part of its Moline headquarters — a former Sam's Club building — for the JA Inspiration Center.
Vibrant is allowing JA to share the space for $1 a year including utilities, parking and maintenance. "I'm so grateful for the way community members in the Quad-Cities step up to enrich the experience for students," Savage said. "This facility is absolutely beautiful .
.. To have it in our own backyard, here in the Moline-Coal Valley School District, is just a blessing that (will) pay dividends for decades.
" Before his death in January of 2022, Duffy served as chairman of the family-owned Per Mar Security and Research Group for most of his career. He was instrumental in growing the organization to include 25 branches across the Midwest and was inducted into the Quad Cities Area Business Hall of Fame in 2005. Duffy, also a longtime JA of the Heartland supporter, had several family members in attendance Tuesday.
Two of his children spoke about the renaming of Biztown in his honor. "My own children, as well as my students, have benefited from JA programming," said Bridget Murphy, Duffy's daughter and principal of Assumption High School in Davenport. A look at the exit of Junior Achievement (JA) of the Heartland's new Michael Duffy JA Biztown site on Tuesday, Sept.
17, 2024, during an open house of the new JA Inspiration Center in Moline. Assumption and other Quad-Cities area high schools have participated in JA-sponsored events and competitions — such as the JA Titan Track — to engage secondary students in product manufacturing; marketing and advertising; sales, distribution, profit and other entrepreneurial skills. Murphy and her brother Brian Duffy, CEO of Per Mar, both spoke about growing up in a "business-oriented" household.
To them, many of the skills their parents sought to foster in them align with the "three pillars" of JA: financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. "My parents showed us work readiness was (important) by supporting us with education ..
. and that there's dignity in any job well-done," Duffy said, also thanking all who support JA. ".
.. We're very proud to be able to name this (Biztown) after my father, Mike Duffy.
" Tuesday's speakers took time to thank all of the local educators who facilitate JA's programming. "It's the magic breaths of people like you who help our children see the linkage between what they learn in school and how it applies to real life," Nelson said. "Helping our students find financial freedom, (understand) what it means to be work ready and even helping them find their entrepreneurial spirit brings hope to their future.
" Local educators, media and other stakeholders tour the "Michael Duffy JA Biztown" side of the new Junior Achievement (JA) Inspiration Center in Moline during an open house on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. Rock Island-Milan Superintendent Sharon Williams strikes a pose at the new Junior Achievement (JA) Inspiration Center in Moline on Tuesday, Sept.
17, 2024, during an exclusive open house event. A look at Junior Achievement (JA) of the Heartland's new JA Finance Park site on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, during an open house of the new JA Inspiration Center in Moline.
A look at the exit of Junior Achievement (JA) of the Heartland's new Michael Duffy JA Biztown site on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, during an open house of the new JA Inspiration Center in Moline. A look at city hall and surrounding storefronts at Junior Achievement (JA) of the Heartland's new JA Biztown site — officially renamed the Michael Duffy JA Biztown — on Tuesday, Sept.
17, 2024, during an open house of the new JA Inspiration Center in Moline. Brian Duffy, CEO of Per Mar Security Services, speaks during a press conference at Junior Achievement (JA) of the Heartland's new JA Inspiration Center facility in Moline on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024.
Bridget Murphy, principal of Assumption High School in Davenport, speaks during a press conference at Junior Achievement (JA) of the Heartland's new JA Inspiration Center facility in Moline on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. Meyer Wikoff, a sixth-grader at Bettendorf Middle School, speaks during a press conference at Junior Achievement (JA) of the Heartland's new JA Inspiration Center facility in Moline on Tuesday, Sept.
17, 2024. A look inside the MetroLINK storefront at Junior Achievement (JA) of the Heartland's new JA Biztown site — officially renamed the Michael Duffy JA Biztown — on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, during an open house of the new JA Inspiration Center in Moline.
A look inside the Quad-City Times storefront at Junior Achievement (JA) of the Heartland's new JA Biztown site — officially renamed the Michael Duffy JA Biztown — on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, during an open house of the new JA Inspiration Center in Moline. Local educators, media and other stakeholders tour Junior Achievement of the Heartland's new JA Biztown site — officially renamed the Michael Duffy JA Biztown — on Tuesday, Sept.
17, 2024, during an open house of the new JA Inspiration Center in Moline. The entrance to Junior Achievement (JA) of the Heartland's new JA Inspiration Center in Moline — located at the Vibrant Credit Union headquarters — on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024.
A look inside the Kent Corporation storefront at Junior Achievement (JA) of the Heartland's new JA Biztown site — officially renamed the Michael Duffy JA Biztown — on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, during an open house of the new JA Inspiration Center in Moline. The entrance to Junior Achievement of the Heartland's new JA Inspiration Center in Moline — located at the Vibrant Credit Union headquarters — on Tuesday, Sept.
17, 2024. Local educators, media and other stakeholders tour Junior Achievement (JA) of the Heartland's new Michael Duffy JA Biztown site on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Moline.
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