Advancing education and workforce readiness for students across Southeast Texas.
Phillips 66 recently joined Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas for the ribbon-cutting of the Phillips 66 | JA Discovery Center, marking the opening of the new experiential learning hub designed to help students connect classroom lessons to real-world skills.
Junior Achievement programs have touched the lives of many. For generations, these learning experiences have immersed students in real-world scenarios, making a lasting impact on their education and future careers.
“Our investment in this center is an investment in the potential of every student who walks through these doors.”
Chairman and CEO of Phillips 66
Why it matters: The Discovery Center reflects Phillips 66’s long-standing partnership with Junior Achievement and our shared commitment to strengthening communities by investing in education, opportunity and workforce readiness for the next generation.
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The Houston-based 40,000-square-foot center brings Junior Achievement’s local team and immersive programs under one roof for the first time, serving students from across Southeast Texas.
Students take part in immersive, hands-on experiences that reflect real-world responsibilities and the dynamics of today’s workplace — helping them better understand careers, money management and collaboration.
Accessible, memorable, meaningful
The site was selected for its accessibility, visibility and safety, with space for buses, volunteers and hundreds of students at a time. Junior Achievement leaders emphasized that the goal was to create an experience students remember long after their visit.
Research shows that students who participate in Junior Achievement programs report higher aspirations for their futures, greater confidence in managing money and stronger career readiness.
A partnership built on possibility
“Because of partners like Phillips 66, we’re able to expand our reach to students from across the region,” said Joe Burke, president, Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas.
“Thanks to this support and the hundreds of Phillips 66 employee volunteer hours since 2012, we have been able to authentically connect learning to the real world, helping countless students see what’s possible for their futures.”
The facility features two of Junior Achievement’s flagship programs:
JA BizTown (grades 4-6): Students operate a simulated town, applying their classroom lessons through simulations like job interviews, running businesses, managing finances and electing a town mayor.
- JA BizTown (grades 4-6): Students operate a simulated town, applying their classroom lessons through simulations like job interviews, running businesses, managing finances and electing a town mayor.
- JA Finance Park (middle and high school): Much like BizTown, students explore career paths, manage budgets and make real-world decisions, but with a heavier focus on adult financial responsibilities and career path logistics.
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Curriculum begins in the classroom before students visit the center, so the experience is educational and memorable as the lessons are brought to life.
Independent evaluations show that over 87% of JA BizTown participants and 92% of JA Finance Park students say the programs helped them realize the importance of staying in school.
With the Discovery Center now open, Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas is ready to reach even more students through expanded programming such as summer learning experiences. When the center reaches capacity, it will host about 32,000 students annually.
In addition to our continued support for Junior Achievement core programming and active leadership on the board, Phillips 66 will continue investing in opportunities like these — helping future generations build skills, confidence and a vision for what’s possible in such a rapidly changing world.