Remember the days when metal shop and home ec were required courses in high school? Back in those ancient times, those were useful classes. But nowadays, youngsters are facing a different world where personal finances need to start way before they hit the pavements of adulthood.
The PlainsCapital folks, who have a history with the Jubilee Park & Community Center (JPCC), recognized that the youngsters in the after-school program just might benefit from a little early development when it comes to understanding and undertaking financial responsibilities.
So, the bankers have partnered up with the after-school programs at JPCC and Trinity River Mission “to teach students about saving, budgeting and making sound financial decisions that will prepare them for college, careers and beyond.”
According to PlainsCapital Bank President/CEO Jerry Schaffner, “PlainsCapital Bank is committed to improving financial literacy in our communities and this program is an excellent way for middle school students to explore topics like saving, budgeting and the importance of making sound financial decisions for their future. All three components of this financial literacy program work together to provide hands-on activities with real-world relevance that will engage students and provide a fun and interactive learning experience.”
Targeting seventh- and eighth-grade students, the three components include:
- Personal Financial Literacy Curriculum – PlainsCapital Bank partnered with Texas Council on Economic Education (TCEE) to develop a targeted personal financial literacy curriculum for middle school students. The program, funded by PlainsCapital Bank, covers topics such as saving, budgeting, credit, taxes, loans, interest and financial responsibility. Employees from PlainsCapital Bank will volunteer their time once a week to teach fun and interactive financial literacy lessons to middle school students in Jubilee Park’s and Trinity River Mission’s after-school program. In 2014, the new Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards will require kindergarten through eighth-grade classes to incorporate personal financial literacy into their curriculum. Middle school teachers can fulfill Texas Education Agency’s personal financial literacy requirement in their own classroom by sending an email to [email protected] to request the curriculum free-of-charge.
- MoneyIsland – PlainsCapital Bank will also provide students with access to MoneyIsland, a web-based, educational computer game that focuses on key financial areas that include, saving and spending, earning and investing and using credit wisely. This tool makes learning about financial matters fun for middle school students as it tracks and encourages their progress.
- PlainsCapital Pays for A’s Program – Seventh- and eighth-grade students from each organization who complete the six-week financial literacy program will be eligible to receive $5 per “A” grade on their fall and spring semester-end report cards. This spring, students will take a field trip to PlainsCapital Bank in Dallas to open a youth savings account and make their first deposit. The PlainsCapital Pays for A’s program applies to the following core classes: English/language arts, history/social studies, math, science and foreign languages.
After the recent economic roller coaster, there are probably some adults who wish they’d had such a program growing up.