Contributed to the Telegram
Boys & Girls Clubs of Nash/Edgecombe Counties were recently selected to pilot the Boys & Girls Clubs of America national program "Money Matters: Make It Count."
Money Matters promotes financial responsibility among teens by building their basic money management skills and is sponsored by Charles Schwab Foundation.
A total of 25 youth, ages 13-18 years old, registered to participate in the intial Money Matter program. The program sites were at the Lucy Ann Boddie Brewer Unit and the Nashville Area Unit. Reginald Oates, Vice President, State Employee's Credit Union, and James Mills, Financial Counselor were committed to faciliating the five week curriculum in the respective locations. Reginald and James have extensive financial expertise. They both have agreed to extend the Money Matters program in the Edgecombe County Units during the summer.
"Money Matters: Make It Count" curriculum topics were understanding your money, spending wisely and using credit, saving and investing, paying for college and being your own boss.
"The things that I liked most about the Money Matters program are learning how to use my money to make money and developing a plan to pay for college", said Tenisha Edwards, club teen.
Teens were provided a Teen Personal Finance Guide, composed of fun, innovative and useful financial tools specific to teens. The guide included practical tips and activities to help teens learn the important skills of balancing a checkbook, creating a budget, saving for the future and investing for college and retirement.
The guide also provides teens with basic entrepreneurship information for those interested in starting a businesses.
Club teens were assessed throughout this program to measure their understanding of the finanical information that was being presented to them. It was evident that they have expounded their knowledge of basic finance skills. All Club teens have benefited from this program in developing effective money management techiniques.
This pilot program will ended with a celebration for all participants and their families at the Holdiay Inn Gateway Center.
"I am looking forward to celebrating the accomplishments of our teen participants. I have had the opportunity of watching our teens grow in understanding money and how they can make every dollar count. It is important that youth are given the skills to become financially independent and have fiscal well-being. I am exceedingly grateful to have had volunteers like Reginald Oates and James Mills to commit their time in helping in the organization's youth development strategy," said Tony Orr, Area Director, Boys & Girls Clubs of Nash/Edgecombe Counties.
For more information about the Boys & Girls Clubs of Nash/Edgecombe Counties or Club membership, please contact Tony Orr, Area Director, Boys & Girls Clubs of Nash/Edgecombe Counties, 977-9924, torr@bgcnec.org or visit the club's www.bgcnec.org.
