Stock Yard Bank & Trust Gets an Upgrade at JA BizTown

For students stepping into JA BizTown®, learning how to manage money isn't just a lesson—it's part of their day. 

Thanks to Junior Achievement of Kentuckiana's continued partnership with Stock Yards Bank & Trust, that experience is becoming even more realistic with a newly revamped Stock Yards Bank & Trust storefront. 

The updated space gives students a closer look at what happens inside a real financial institution while introducing them to careers across the banking industry. 

A Bank Every JA BizTown Citizen Needs 

The bank plays a unique role in the JA BizTown experience because every student has a reason to visit it. 

Throughout the simulation, students earn paychecks, make purchases and manage their finances while operating the businesses that make their JA BizTown community run. The Stock Yards Bank & Trust storefront helps connect those pieces by giving students hands-on experience with banking and money management. 

Some students get to experience banking from the other side of the counter. 

Students working at Stock Yards Bank & Trust take on roles such as CEO, CPA and tellers, giving them an opportunity to explore the responsibilities, teamwork and skills required to keep a financial institution operating. 

The revamped storefront also reflects how careers in banking continue to evolve, helping students see that the financial services industry offers career pathways that extend well beyond the positions they may traditionally associate with a bank. 

Image caption: Phil Poindexter with Mayor of BizTown from Brooks Elementary School

Connecting the Simulation to Real Life 

The lessons students practice inside JA BizTown don't end when the simulation does. 

Stock Yards Bank & Trust also provides its customers with access to a complimentary Greenlight subscription for their families. Greenlight combines a debit card with a money-management app designed for children and teens, allowing families to practice skills such as spending, saving and managing money while parents maintain oversight. 

That connection between education and real-world financial tools reinforces a shared goal between Stock Yards Bank & Trust and Junior Achievement: helping young people build strong financial habits early. 

“We are thankful to continue partnering with Stock Yards Bank & Trust to provide the JA BizTown simulation to students,” said Jennifer Helgeson, president of Junior Achievement of Kentuckiana. “Financial firms are at the core of what we do. From learning how to manage a paycheck to understanding how businesses and individuals interact with financial institutions, the banking experience is an important part of helping students become confident, capable and connected to what’s next.”

Image caption: Phil Poindexter, President of Stock Yards Bancorp, Inc., speaking to students.

A Partnership With Lasting Impact 

Stock Yards Bank & Trust's support of Junior Achievement reaches well beyond its JA BizTown storefront. 

During the last school year, Stock Yards Bank supported JA programming reaching 12 schools and approximately 10,000 classroom hours. 

Across the partnership, that impact has grown to: 

• 47 schools 

• More than 87,000 classroom hours 

• Nearly 9,500 students served 

These numbers reflect programming outside of the JA BizTown storefront, making the bank's presence inside JA BizTown an additional layer of its investment in preparing young people for their futures. 

With a refreshed space, updated career opportunities and an experience every JA BizTown citizen interacts with, the Stock Yards Bank & Trust storefront is helping students understand an important lesson: financial knowledge isn't just something they'll need someday. It's something they can begin building today. 

Junior Achievement of Kentuckiana is grateful to Stock Yards Bank & Trust for its continued investment in helping young people become financially capable and prepared for what’s next.