This was my first experience with running a business.

Also in fifth grade, I attended a program in Denver, Colorado, that had students participating in a mock city where they ran businesses and learned about how an economy works. It was then that I learned that being an entrepreneur wasn’t just a game – it was a way of life. I became aware of individuals in our neighborhood who worked for themselves and began watching them and evaluating their character with the hope that I, someday, could become like them.

I have since started and run a number of different businesses, and now, as the leader of the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce, it is my goal every day to help our local businesses thrive. My entire career started with a seed of curiosity planted in my youth.

Our Utah County youth now have an outstanding resource where they, too, can experience the entrepreneurial spirit. On May 4, the new Woodbury Junior Achievement City opened at University Place in Orem. Built to resemble a real city center with banks, a town hall, restaurants and other businesses that contribute to the local economy, Woodbury JA City is an experiential learning facility that will serves Utah’s fifth- and eighth-graders.

Courtesy Daniel Pugmire

Junior Achievement is the nation’s largest organization dedicated to providing young people with the knowledge and skills they need to plan for their futures and achieve economic success. It operates Junior Achievement Cities nationwide.

Between 130 and 150 students will occupy Woodbury Junior Achievement City five days a week throughout the school year. During the weeks leading up to their visit, students explore the various careers available at the city, interview for their top job choices and attain a specific job in the city. Once there, they work in teams to successfully operate their businesses for the day.

“We’ve dreamed of this exciting day for years,” said Christy Tribe, president and CEO of Junior Achievement of Utah. “We believe that children can’t be what they can’t see, and there’s no better place to explore careers and sample life as an adult than JA City. With a waiting list of over 100 schools at our Salt Lake City location, we knew we needed a second location. We’re grateful to the Woodbury Corporation and many others who made this possible. Very soon, we’ll be able to reach two-thirds of Utah’s fifth graders each school year.”

The Orem JA City was made possible through funding from the State of Utah, public and private donations, and the in-kind gift of 10,500 square feet of space in University Place donated by the Woodbury Corporation. An ongoing fundraising effort is underway to ensure the Woodbury JA City will continue to operate at full capacity in the coming school years.

“Speaking for the entire Woodbury Corporation family, we welcome JA City to University Place,” said Randy Woodbury, vice chairman of Woodbury Corporation. “We can’t wait to see thousands of young students experience this amazing facility where they can engage, experience and learn about how communities and the business world works and hopefully be inspired with possibilities for their own future career paths.”

As a promoter of businesses and economic success in Utah County, the Utah Valley Chamber is a supporter of this new resource for our young people, and we encourage you to offer your support as well. Just as my early experiences guided me onto the path of entrepreneurship, the JA City has the potential to inspire thousands of Utah’s youth to contribute to the bright economic future of this state.

Curtis Blair is the President and CEO of the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce.