Cumming, Ga.—The Mike & Lynn Cottrell Junior Achievement (JA) Discovery Center in North Georgia held its grand opening here, Aug. 23. The center, which will serve approximately 15,000 local middle school students, provides each pupil with the opportunity to gain exposure to all types of businesses headquartered in the state.
One of the companies representing the flooring industry is Engineered Floors, which has a storefront inside the center. The company’s space was created to teach students about carpet manufacturing.
The Mike & Lynn Cottrell JA Discovery Center is the third of its kind. The first, JA Chick-fil-A Foundation Discovery Center, opened in downtown Atlanta five years ago; the second, JA Discovery Center at Gwinnett in Gwinnett County, opened three years ago.
“We are thrilled to be able to expand the impact of this relevant, authentic and experiential learning to more students across the state,” Jack Harris, president and CEO, JA of Georgia, said in a press release about the third center. “This facility creates an opportunity for us to enhance existing partnerships and ignite new ones in a community that is engaged in deepening their students’ education experience.”
The launch of the third center was made possible with the support of Mike and Lynn Cottrell as well as partnerships with school systems and investment from businesses such as: ADP, Andean Chevrolet, Associated Credit Union, City of Cumming, Delta Air Lines, Elavon, Engineered Floors, Georgia Power, Georgia State University, Georgia United Credit Union, MarketSource, North Georgia Community Foundation, Northside Hospital, Publix Super Markets Charities, RaceTrac, United Way of Hall County, United Way of Forsyth County and Zaxby’s. All businesses that invested have storefronts in the facility.