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Youth financial literacy makes good ‘cents’
The more children learn about money, and the earlier they start building the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to become financially literate, the more likely they’ll be to make sound decisions about their financial future.
“To support our Member Experience Strategy of building membership for the future, we are committed to helping youth in our communities become more financially literate,” shares Kootenay Savings VP: Sales & Member Experience, Nancy Crockett. “We want to help kids form healthy financial habits at an early age and empower them to make informed choices. Through Kootenay Kids Cash, our entertaining and interactive youth budgeting workshop, we are able to do just that.”
Designed for students in grades five through eight, and delivered by engaging Kootenay Savings financial experts, Kootenay Kids Cash turns the classroom into an imaginary family with an income to allocate, expenses to manage and decisions to make. Throughout the hour-long workshop students are introduced to money concepts such as saving, spending and budgeting, and are presented with real-life scenarios designed to enhance decision making skills and help distinguish between needs and wants.
2015 Kootenay Kids Cash Program highlights.
Sixteen different elementary and middle schools were visited; 592 students from across the Kootenays participated in the program; 22 Kootenay Savings employees acted as financial literacy instructors.
What students and teachers had to say.
“I loved the workshop! It was a really fun way to learn about different and cool ways to save money!” “The presentation really inspired me to save for the future and to think hard about needs and wants.”
“I really feel the information that you present is very important so that the students can see the value in setting up good financial habits. It was a wonderful workshop and the kids loved it!”
“The students thoroughly enjoyed the hands-on workshop. They now have a better understanding about the need to save money and an appreciation for the difference between needs and wants.”
Kootenay Savings looks forward to continuing facilitating the Kootenay Kids Cash workshops, and also plans to introduce a budgeting, borrowing and investing financial literacy workshop for high school students during the 2015/2016 school year.
Kootenay Savings
