SunTrust Celebrates Opening of the Junior Achievement's Chick-fil-A Foundation Discovery Center

August 21,2013

SunTrust Banks, Inc. joined Junior Achievement, Chick-fil-A and other Atlanta business, education and civic organizations in celebrating the grand opening of Junior Achievement's Chick-fil-A Foundation Discovery Center, a financial literacy and career readiness center in downtown Atlanta.  The facility provides a 360-degree educational experience including a day of interactive simulation venues, JA BizTown and JA Finance Park, that will teach more than 30,000 Atlanta-area middle school students the importance of personal budgeting, career readiness and real-life adult responsibilities.    

To help the Discovery Center become a reality, the SunTrust Foundation made a $1 million grant to JA's capital campaign and SunTrust Bank provided $400,000 in sponsorship of Junior Achievement (JA) Finance Park.  SunTrust is Presenting Sponsor of JA Finance Park, and SunTrust teammates will be among the volunteers helping guide students through the JA Finance Park experience.  SunTrust also helped with the center's financing. 

"The economic recovery we're experiencing doesn't diminish the underlying need to help young people – our next generation – understand how our economy works, and how it can work for them," said E. Jenner Wood, president and chief executive officer of SunTrust's Atlanta/Georgia  Division speaking on behalf of the SunTrust Foundation. "Supporting this phenomenal Discovery Center is an exciting way for SunTrust to put our purpose of Lighting the Way to Financial Well-Being into action for students throughout the greater Atlanta area."    

The SunTrust Foundation's mission is to provide monetary support to nonprofit organizations and institutions engaged in activities promoting education, health and human services, culture and art, and civic and community involvement that contribute to the social and economic development of the communities SunTrust serves.