SpartanNash Debuts Immersive Grocery Experience for High Schoolers

Students can explore a wide range of grocery industry careers at experiential learning center

12/6/2023

SpartanNash Junior Achievement Ribbon Cutting Main Image

SpartanNash's Family Fare experiential learning center will open at the Karl & Susan Hascall JA Finance Park, in Grand Rapids, Mich., when classes resume in January 2024.

Food solutions company SpartanNash has teamed up with youth education nonprofit Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes (JAMGL) on a new Family Fare experiential learning center. The immersive activation is part of JA Finance Park, Junior Achievement’s capstone program for financial planning and career exploration.

“Financial independence and career exploration are two of the most important skills we can teach young people, and grocery is an essential industry with many admirable career paths across supply chain, retail, transportation and corporate job functions,” said SpartanNash CEO Tony Sarsam. “Our new partnership with JA of the Michigan Great Lakes aligns with SpartanNash’s mission to deliver the ingredients for a better life, including the careers that make a better life possible.”

At the experiential learning center, students can choose from a wide range of grocery industry careers, among them cashier, supply chain forklift operator and corporate associate. They’ll also learn how to create a monthly budget based on their career and family circumstances, and then plan their grocery purchases in accordance with that budget. The activation additionally features an interactive 136-inch TV display for students to explore different career paths, as well as the chance to take a selfie that places them on the label of SpartanNash’s Our Family brand of Wheat Flakes cereal.

SpartanNash’s five-year commitment to JAMGL includes ongoing financial support and associate volunteer opportunities. This past summer, the company raised more than $150,000 for JA through a back-to-school in-store fundraiser.

“We are thrilled to continue our journey with SpartanNash through this new partnership for our JA Finance Park Capstone program,” noted Bill Coderre, president and CEO of Grand Rapids, Mich.-based JAMGL. “SpartanNash shares our passion to empower young individuals, and workforce development education is an important addition to the program. We believe in the power of helping students master financial independence while educating them about the various career paths available to live responsibly.”

The activation will open at the Karl & Susan Hascall JA Finance Park when classes resume in January 2024.

Grand Rapids, Mich.-based SpartanNash operates two complementary business segments – food wholesale and grocery retail. Its global supply chain network serves wholesale customers that include independent and chain grocers, national retail brands, e-commerce platforms, and U.S. military commissaries and exchanges. On the retail side, SpartanNash operates 144 brick-and-mortar grocery stores, primarily under the banners of Family Fare, Martin’s Super Markets and D&W Fresh Market, in addition to dozens of pharmacies and fuel centers. The company is No. 41 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.