Shared Legacy: New Junior Achievement park offers a home to inspiration | Columnists

On June 11, Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana cut the ribbon on more than a park. The debut of Legacy Park opened a space where sculptures teach, speak and, hopefully, inspire visitors.

Set on JA’s 30-acre campus along Wallen Road, the park is part of the $10 million JA Next Campaign, which is now more than halfway to its goal. While the campaign supports program expansion, technology upgrades and curriculum innovation, Legacy Park offers something personal and accessible beyond the organization’s regular hours.

Created by Fort Wayne-based Design Collaborative, the park is experiential by design. Sculptures line the path around the pond, each tied to a donor who has supported JA.

But these aren’t static tributes. Each piece of art includes a QR code that, when scanned, plays a short video. One video might highlight a local company’s innovation; another may offer personal advice from business leaders to the next generation.

“We retain things through stories,” Lena Yarian, president of Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana, told The Journal Gazette on Thursday. “It’s how people learn and how they remember. And this park was created to tell the stories behind the generosity that shapes our community.”

She’s right. Stories of business leaders such as Keith Busse and Mark Hagerman, both Fort Wayne Community Schools graduates, are reminders that greatness can come from right next door.

And the experience doesn’t stay the same. The video messages rotate, the music changes, and more sculptures will be added over time. A visit today won’t be quite the same as a visit next month.

JA employees noticed families already using the space behind the building before the park officially opened. Yarian recalled one mother who regularly brought her daughter, who kept asking to return. The grounds are handicap accessible, family friendly and, most importantly, inspiring.

It’s a public invitation to rethink how we share wisdom, and a reminder that education can happen anywhere. For the next generation of leaders, a spark of confidence might come from a walk, a story or a few words of encouragement that show they belong to something greater. And for visitors of any age, a stroll through Legacy Park might feel like the beginning of something meaningful.

Legacy Park is open to the public during daylight hours. Take the walk. Bring your lunch, your kids or your curiosity. The park will be ready – and so will the stories.

Fred McKissack is editorial page editor of The Journal Gazette.