Along with the increasing number of high school and college classrooms that are incorporating personal finance into their curriculum, many community groups are also finding ways to offer lessons in economic education.
In Missouri, the Boys and Girls Club of West Central Missouri puts financial lessons into practice with its “club bucks” program.
The members get “club bucks” for attending different programs throughout the week, then receive an itemized paycheck. To cash the checks, they must fill out a deposit slip at the club’s bank, and may then spend the bucks at the club store, open once a week, or buy time on a computer or play the Nintendo Wii.
The program coordinator noted that the teens in the program are at “a very impressionable age.” Some teens participating in the program said that it was difficult to save the “club bucks” and that the program is teaching them what they will have to do when they are older.
As we have reminded readers time and time again, it’s never too late to talk to kids about learning how to manage money. Kudos to the educational institutions and community groups across the U.S. who are giving kids a head start for their future finances!
