Saint Peter Middle School

Earlier this quarter, SPMS sixth graders embarked on their annual field trip to Junior Achievement BizTown in St. Paul. JA BizTown is a highly immersive experience, combining classroom lessons with hands-on experience, as young scholars take on the exceptional task of running their own simulated town. 

Students in Brittney Walters’s sixth grade class prepared for this trip for weeks prior to their visit to JA BizTown. During those preparations, the students met with local professionals to practice their interview skills and apply for specific jobs. Once on-site, the talented students were able to assume their new roles with ease.

Student Teagan Guentzel held the valuable job of town Mayor. This opportunity allowed her to “meet with everyone, see everyone, and be involved with everyone” in the town. In addition to strengthening her leadership skills, Guentzel was able to connect in-class concepts with real-world scenarios. “Everything we learned beforehand, there is a need for in life,” Guentzel says. 

Her classmate, Henry Menning agrees. Menning took on the fascinating role of town DJ, and noted that the highlight of his trip was applying his newfound knowledge of financial management. “In class,” Menning says, “we learned how to write checks and use a debit card.” After his shift, the amateur DJ was able to use his hard-earned paycheck to make purchases at the BizTown Market. 

Overall, the experience allowed students to see correlations between what they learned in class and the ‘real world.’

“SPMS 6th graders did a fantastic job on the day of the field trip and each of them worked hard at their job for the day,” Walters said. “We are so proud of our students and the great accomplishments they achieved with JA BizTown!” 

She also notes that this opportunity would not be possible without the help of a generous anonymous donor. Furthermore, the JA Biztown field trip is – at its core – a celebration of the power of community.

Above and below are some photo highlight from the SPMS sixth-grade trip to the Junior Achievement's BizTown facility in downtown St. Paul.