Posts filed under 'Financial literacy'
August 18th, 2008
I was listening to a story this morning on NPR that included comments from Julia Wright, daughter of well-known African-American author Richard Wright (writer of Native Son). She spoke of how, as a youth, she read her father’s autobiography Black Boy while eating caramels. She learned how her father received a single orange for Christmas one year and he savored it slowly as he ate it.
She immediately spit her caramels out.
A lot of times – probably most of the time – we don’t think about those that have had to work a lot harder than us to accomplish things we take for granted – eating an orange; voting for president; getting an education.
For so many young people, going to school is a necessary evil. It is something to be suffered through on the way to reaching the “real world.”
My children are the same way. My oldest wants to be a chef, but will have to work hard to get finished with high school and then culinary school. I went to college and got my degree in journalism. My mother took care of me as a baby while my father worked his way through school so that they could have a good life for their family. Both sets of my grandparents worked long hours in factories so that their children wouldn’t have to. My great-grand parents included hardworking Midwest sharecroppers and new immigrants from Poland who sweated each day just to make sure there was food on the table at the end.
We must realize the struggles of our past to value the gifts of our future. So much work has been done to get us where we are today, who would want to let them down?
August 7th, 2008
When I first moved here 3 years ago, I was told by many to avoid living in Rockford because the schools were so horrible. Being naive to the environment, I moved to an area that I was told was a “safe pick” for schools. Into the Rockton-Roscoe-South Beloit area we went. My kids have been going to Hononegah ever since. A great school.
Since then, I’ve had a considerable amount of experience with many of our region’s school districts and, because of this, I’ve come to the conclusion that Rockford has some really great public schools. I have met amazing students who have big dreams for their future. I have met high schoolers who are preparing to go off to great colleges (including Ivy League!). I have met kids who are building robots that would make C-3PO jealous.
Now, I don’t want anyone to interpret this as me saying that our Rockford schools have no issues to work in. I would be one of the last to say that. But what I have seen in the last few years is a strong passion among Rockford teachers and administrators for the education of our youth. This is their hometown, too, and they want to see that our youth are ready to make it an even better place.
Bottom line, don’t write off our Rockford youth or our Rockford educators. They do some amazing things.
July 30th, 2008
After hearing about all the bank meltdowns around the country, it was nice to see the article in today’s Register Star regarding the smart practices of many of our community banks. I particularly liked Alpine Bank’s Pat Peterson’s comment… “I’ve denied people with a 750 credit score because they have a little too much credit card debt.”
As I’ve said many times in the past, I can remember my first day in college when I visited the bookstore and found credit card companies ready to sign every last one of us up. I mean, it was a great deal, though. You spent 3 minutes filling out the application and, in return, you got a free shirt. FREE CLOTHES!!!
At that age, you don’t consider that that shirt may end up costing you hundreds of dollars in late fees and interest.
While it’s great seeing banks tighten their lending practices, it’s also up to us to be smart about our finances and knowing when the debt is too much for us to handle before you get into that predicament. We must remember that, in the end, it is our decision as to how we spend our money.
Much like we can’t fully blame fast food restaurants for our unhealthy lifestyles, we can’t expect to be financially successful if we continue to be financially unwise.
July 25th, 2008
While people have had differing comments on the world of video games, one thing that cannot be denied is that it stimulates learning - whether good or bad.
When I played video games in my younger days, we simply had to press the red button to shoot an astroid or jump over an alligator. Nowadays, there are at least 3 or 4 buttons to select from. In addition, if you combine them in certain orders (along with the directional arrows), you can do other maneuvers that look fearspme and relatively uncomfortable for the body.
In my own kids, I find they sometimes have trouble remembering some of the things they are taught in their classes, but they can remember a string of 15 commands that will make their video game character do some most amazing things.
Many are finding the benefits of incorporating educational materials with fun, interactive games. One such example with Junior Achievement is called JA Titan, which allows high school students to run a company and make the appropriate decisions in a video game environment. During the program they listen to a volunteer discuss certain business aspects such as price and products. Then they put these learned skills to work. There are a lot of “a-ha’s”, especially as they compete against their classmates.
Interactive activities aren’t just fun between a young person and a computer. Throw yourself in there as well. You can bring the experience to them that will allow them to USE the education they are learning. This will stick with them and help benefit them as the get older.
July 7th, 2008
Recently, I was looking over some past newspapers and I came across the article last week entitled “Poll: Schools not properly preparing kids” and it made me think of the overused adage “It takes a village…”
I’m curious to hear from others on their thoughts about what’s different about schools today versus when they were younger? Were the teachers more qualified? Did the jobs require less skill?
Another question. Who else was involved in your education?
Each day, teachers spend 6 to 7 hours during the fall, winter, and spring with our youth teaching the requirements as mandated by government. Those are the building blocks and many of the teachers I have met have worked hard to provide a great foundation to their students.
This year, I have been looking at building a deck in the back of my house. I considered building it myself, but my greatest fear is getting the frame in and grounded. If that’s not done properly, then the whole thing is going to collapse during some great summertime party. I’m going to leave this to someone who can be sure to do it properly. My job will be to add the rest.
With many more hours out of school, our youth have plenty of time to add to the foundation laid by the teachers. If that foundation is good, then we as parents, families, neighbors and community members can do what we can to make sure that our youth are truly prepared for the future of their dreams.
What can we do?
There are a number of ways to help. Getting involved in the many good organizations locally that serve the youth of our community is one great way. Working with your kids at home is another.
Maybe create job shadow experiences for them. Last year, I took my oldest to Giovanni’s to get an idea of what it would be like to be a chef. It was a great eye-opening experience that allowed him to see what he has to do to get that dream job.
Raising and educating a child is a huge job that we can’t just leave to only a few. Each of us provides a unique tool that our youth can use to become a success in our global economy.
June 26th, 2008
Recently, I’ve been reading about Ed McMahon’s trials and tribulations regarding the threatened foreclosure of his mansion. On Larry King, in explaining how he got into the situation, he said that without working he had more money going out than coming in.
Is this really an adequate excuse for an 85-year-old millionaire (or former millionaire). With so many struggling to live on social security how can someone who made millions in his lifetime, not have saved a little bit of it for his retirement?
In JA’s first grade programs, we teach the differences between needs and wants and the purpose of savings. Again, this is a first grade lesson.
Most of us will not become millionaires, but all of us will come to a time when we retire or can no longer work. We must not only prepare ourselves for that day, but also teach our kids the purpose of savings. Ask your children if they want a video game today or a car tomorrow? A car today or college tomorrow? It’s all about the priority of needs and wants.
June 23rd, 2008
I glanced at the top of the Business Rockford website today and noticed the little tidbit of information which says 45 percent of college students have an average credit card debt of $3,066.
Scary thought.
For someone making $7 an hour at the college book store or $4 an hour plus tips at a local restaurant, a number like that can be quite daunting. Considering the interest rates for those credit cards that college students qualify for are not all that great, the minimum payment could be rather considerable on such a small income.
I’ll be the last person to say that we should teach our youth that all credit cards are bad. Emergencies happen. Books are needed. Sometimes the car needs a repair. But we must teach our youth, and probably even ourselves, the difference between needs and wants. The more you spend your money earlier on wants, the less you will later have for needs.
Kids learn from example. What are you teaching yours?
March 27th, 2008
Did any of you happen to see Ben Franklin walking around the streets of Rockford last weekend? Or at the Ice Hogs game?
Ben was here helping to promote “Money Smart Week.” From April 6-12, the entire Rockford area will be treated to a week of free classes and workshops on financial topics as a part of Illinois’ first-annual Money Smart Week, sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Local partners are hosting an impressive number of events for kids, teens, adults, and senior citizens of every financial background.
There are some wonderful workshops being offered for kids and teens:
Would you like your 4th grader to learn about saving money? Take her to “AMKIDS - The Importance of Saving Money” - April 9, 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm, at Liberty Baptist Church.
Does your high school student need to open a checking account, or start looking for college loans? The workshop “Teens and Money” will get him started - Thursday, April 10th, two sessions at Ellis Heights United Center.
Do you have a young artist or scientist in the family? She’ll make some real-world connections with money at ”The Art & Science of Money” - Sunday, April 6 - Friday, April 11, at the Discovery Center Museum.
Visit the website below to access the full calendar of events for Money Smart Week, and to see a listing of local partners. Take advantage of these opportunities to help your kids become more financially savvy, and don’t forget to look for workshops that you’d like to attend: anyone interested in “Conquering Credit” ?
http://www.moneysmartweek.org/illinois
March 25th, 2008
Becoming “financially literate” is kind of like learning a second language: it’s something that anyone can accomplish, but it’s best learned at a young age. And, the earlier you are exposed to financial literacy, the more you stand to gain from it.
Teaching financial literacy to area youth will be one of the main themes of the “Preparing Our Future” blog. Aimed at parents and educators, my blog entries will highlight techniques and opportunities to teach young people about money management skills, entrepreneurship, and work readiness. As Larry Messing mentioned in his first post, young people need to be prepared and inspired to take charge of their future, and financial lessons are key.
Two of the bloggers, Larry and myself, come from the Rock River Valley chapter of Junior Achievement. Many of our readers may remember the Junior Achievement “Company Program” from their highschool days. Today, JA is a worldwide organization that brings financial literacy programs to children in grades K-12. Locally, each year over 250 JA volunteers reach 5,000 students in over 30 schools in the Rock River Valley.
I look forward to discussing the economic education of our local youth with you, and would like to thank Business Rockford for making it possible. We will be working hard to keep this blog updated and relevant, and I hope that it serves as a useful resource.
