FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — Junior Achievement (JA) broke ground on the construction of the new JA Legacy Park on Wednesday.
The park, which will be built adjacent to JA’s headquarters in Fort Wayne and is scheduled to open in October, will tell the stories of local JA-affiliated business leaders and entrepreneurs through sculptures, signs, benches and QR code-activated videos. The park, which will include a pond, will cover four acres.
JA Foundation chairman Jim Johnston said the new park would be an opportunity for local young people to learn about their community through the arts.
“When JA Legacy Park opens, it will honor leaders and entrepreneurs throughout our community through compelling sculptures and interactive art,” Johnston said. “By sharing their stories through JA Legacy Park, these people will continue to inspire and support young people discovering the stories of those who have shaped our community.”
Lena Yarian, president of JA Northern Indiana, said experiential learning programs like JA NEXT, the initiative that funded the park, can inspire young people.
“Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana is proud to provide exposure to approximately 184,000 students annually through business and education partnerships and funding to those who support the impact of JA experiential learning on the ever-changing needs of our youth,” Yarian said. “The JA NEXT initiative is ongoing, and we invite you to talk to us about the opportunity to inspire others through JA Legacy Park.”
