Mya Churchill, CEO of KeyBank, fills out a form at her desk at BizTown in Portland, Ore., on April 20, 2026.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, there are over 162 million civilians employed in the nation’s workforce.
But that number may be an undercount since it does not include kids working at Junior Achievement BizTown.
The nationwide program gives fourth through sixth graders jobs, paychecks and more to experience what it’s like to be a working adult for a day in the simulated city of BizTown.
Barbra Smith is the president and CEO of Junior Achievement of Oregon and SW Washington. She says the simulation is important for kids to think about their careers and getting older.
Helena, Food Manager of the cafe at BizTown, serves a drink to customers at BizTown in Portland, Ore., AprIl 20, 2026. The cafe served fountain drinks and popcorn
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
“Students need to understand how their education connects to their careers and to what they want to do later in life,” she said. “They also need to really understand how reading, writing and arithmetic are going to form their futures.”
There are various careers and industries to work in, including healthcare, food service, public service and sales, to name a few.
Aric was the on-air host at BZTV, the closed-circuit TV station reporting on the happenings of the kid city, on the day when students from Hoodview Adventist School in Boring and Columbia Valley Elementary in Vancouver populated BizTown.
Kids host a live newscast with employees of BizTown for BZTV on April 29, 2026 in Portland, Ore. The show aired on televisions across the fictional town and its businesses throughout the day.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
This is Aric’s second time at Biztown. Last time he was a CFO, but he’s been enjoying being an interviewer much more.
“I get to see what people are doing around [Biztown],” he said. “Not many jobs get to see what people are doing around the place.”
Some students not only learned about different careers but also about the more mundane tasks of adulthood. Every student receives a paycheck and is paid twice through their time at BizTown. But to use that money, they must deposit it into their accounts, which teaches students valuable lessons in money management.
Hendrik Denjs works as a teller at BizTown's KeyBank on April 20, 2026 in Portland, Ore. The program, organized by nonprofit Junior Achievement, is an interactive simulation where 4th through 6th graders are assigned jobs and earn money in a fictional town for a day.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
“I learned that I have to go to the bank even though I don’t want to go to the bank,” Alice, the executive director of Biztown’s Humane Society, said. “It’s kind of boring. You have to wait in line.”
Smith says over the last two decades at BizTown, she has seen a decline in math skills due to an over-reliance on technology. Even soft skills, such as keeping eye contact and making conversation, have really been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and could use additional support and attention, she says.
“I think students are having a slow time referring back to what that means, because even some of our adults, even some of our educators, are unfortunately having challenges around that,” she said.
Brooklyn Burnett, sales manager at Walmart, helps a customer on April 20, 2026 in Portland, Ore. BizTown shops include a sports store, a pet adoption center and a cafe.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
Throughout the day, students are given various tasks tied to their job. Lexi’s job was to be the mayor of BizTown, which meant she not only had to give a big town hall speech, but she also had to visit with various BizTown citizens, encouraging them to vote at city hall. Needless to say, it was tiring work for the young public servant.
“Being an adult is hard. I love to work, but sometimes I can overdo it,” the young Biztown mayor said. “It’s been fun, but I think I need to go back to being a kid.”
“Think Out Loud” host Dave Miller and producer Rolie Hernandez spent a day at BizTown. You can listen to the full conversation here:
