jabiztonw 3 scaled What's the new structure going up in downtown Birmingham? — The new McWane Economic Education Center is moving forward in downtown Birmingham. (Nathan Watson / Bham Now)

If you’ve passed through downtown Birmingham’s Central City recently, you’ve likely noticed a large structure going vertical on the corner of 23rd St. N and 6th Ave. N. The construction is part of the McWane Economic Education Center, a new facility for local nonprofit Junior Achievement of Alabama and its programs.

A new state-of-the-art experiential learning facility in downtown Birmingham

JA McWane Economic Education Center — JA of Alabama and other organizations involved in the project broke ground on the development on Thursday, January 9. (Nathan Watson / Bham Now)

In September 2024, Junior Achievement of Alabama announced its exciting new project: a new, $20M facility in downtown Birmingham called the McWane Economic Education Center.

For over 70 years, JA of Alabama has helped students prepare for their careers—and lives—through financial literacy and entrepreneurship programming in schools across the state. Soon, the McWane Economic Education Center will allow those students to apply concepts they’ve learned in the classroom in an immersive, real-world experience.

A rendering of the JA McWane Economic Education Center. (Goodwyn Mills Cawood) — A rendering of the McWane Economic Education Center. (Goodwyn Mills Cawood)

Once complete, the McWane Economic Education Center will be home to both JA of Alabama and its two JA Capstone programs, which combine classroom curriculum with a hands-on, day-long experiential site visit in JA’s unique learning lab.

JA Biztown — An unmatched learning experience where sixth-grade students interact within a simulated economy and take on the role of employee, taxpayer and consumer.
JA Finance Park — An immersive program where eighth graders create and maintain a household budget. Students have the rare opportunity to experience their personal financial futures today.

The McWane Economic Education Center was made possible by support from several local organizations, including:

The McWane Family
Regions Bank
EBSCO Industries and the Stephens Family
Altec
Brasfield & Gorrie
Carver Bank
The State of Alabama
Alabama Community College System

“Financial wellness is truly foundational to student success and career success. One of the greatest ways we can uplift our hometown is by helping connect more people with more information on how to manage money, build savings, and navigate the unexpected.

What’s happening with Junior Achievement of Alabama represents a huge leap forward in helping more people learn the essentials of money management from an early age, meaning they will benefit for many years to come. Further, the new financial education center will allow Junior Achievement to bring to life important lessons on the free enterprise system and what it takes to own and operate a business.

Possessing that information will go far to help students make thoughtful decisions that can positively impact their lives today and in the future.”
David Turner, Chief Financial Officer for Regions Bank

McWane Economic Education Center opening 2026

Since the official groundbreaking in January, construction on the McWane Economic Education Center has moved forward steadily; Junior Achievement aims to run a pilot program in spring of 2026 and begin full operations in the 2026-2027 school year.

Excited to see the McWane Economic Education Center moving along? Tag us @bhamnow to let us know!