Junior Achievement of Wisconsin and the Connected for Kids partner organizations — Children’s Wisconsin, Emplify Health by Bellin and ThedaCare — officially inaugurated the Connected for Kids Experiential Learning Storefront at the Junior Achievement location in Appleton. 

The celebration marks the formal opening of a first-of-its-kind, immersive health care learning experience designed to inspire the next generation of health care professionals across Northeast Wisconsin. The storefront, which opened earlier this year, invites students in grades 4 through 6 to step into the roles of health care leaders — exploring patient care, learning how medical organizations operate and discovering the wide range of career options available in this field.

The storefront will be used for experiential learning through JA BizTown and JA Finance Park. JA BizTown is a nationally recognized entrepreneurial simulation that brings real-world industries to life through hands-on learning. JA Finance Park is a personal financial planning and career capstone experience where students apply learning to develop a personal budget. The Connected for Kids storefront extends these experiences into the health care sector, allowing students to become a health care CEO, market the partner organizations’ services and learn what it is really like to work in health care.

“We are incredibly proud to welcome Children’s Wisconsin, Emplify Health by Bellin and ThedaCare as partners in the JA BizTown and Finance Park experience,” said Matt Juedes, Director of Development and Stewardship for Junior Achievement. “These opportunities have always been about more than business — they’re about opening doors for young people and showing them what is possible. Having the Connected for Kids partner organizations come together in this space sends a powerful message to our students: your future career in health care starts right here.” 

The Connected for Kids pediatric partnership aims to improve the health and well-being of children and adolescents in Northeast and Central Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Together, its partner organizations have worked collaboratively to design a storefront experience that is both medically meaningful and genuinely engaging for children. The initiative reflects the partners’ collective belief that early exposure to health care careers can strengthen individual futures and the health care workforce.

“We are excited about what this storefront represents — not only for the children who will experience it, but for the future of pediatric care in our region,” said Matt Buelow, MD, Medical Director of the Northeast Region for Children’s Wisconsin and Medical Director for Connected for Kids. “As a physician, I know how important it is to inspire young people to consider this field. And as a father, I have seen firsthand how meaningful and lasting this kind of experience can be. We are proud to be part of something that helps make that connection real.”

For Emplify Health by Bellin, the Connected for Kids storefront reflects the organization’s deep commitment to the communities it serves — and to nurturing the curiosity and potential of every young person in them.

“Bringing this storefront to life required thoughtful collaboration and a dedication to creating something meaningful for kiddos,” said Jamie Hagenow-Sekora, Pediatrics Specialties and Primary Care Pediatrics and Adolescent Team Leader at Emplify Health by Bellin. “We worked with our Connected for Kids partners and the Junior Achievement team to ensure every element of this experience resonates with students. We believe that when kids understand health care, they are better equipped to take ownership of their own well-being — and maybe even get inspired to become the caregivers of tomorrow.”

ThedaCare leaders echo that sense of shared purpose and community investment.

“The Connected for Kids partnership is a testament to what we can accomplish when health care organizations prioritize collaboration over competition,” said Mark Cockley, MD, Senior Vice President of Population Health for the North Region of Froedtert ThedaCare. “We share a vision of a healthier, more vibrant region where people in our communities are inspired to live their unique, best life — and we know that vision begins with investing in our children. This storefront is one more way we are living that commitment every day.” 

The ribbon-cutting ceremony brought together organizational leadership, community representatives and students who participate in the JA programs. Following the ribbon cutting, attendees had the opportunity to experience the Connected for Kids storefront and learn more about what students encounter during their BizTown and Finance Park visits.