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Students at Taft are banking on financial literacy
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Cierra Dandridge, a fifth-grader at Taft Elementary School, and Kandie Kline, a Huntington Bank area operations specialist, prepare for the school’s twice-monthly Kids Club program. The Huntington Bank program teaches children skills in financial literacy.
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At right, Taft Elementary School kindergartner Michael Logan shows the bank book he’s been using to keep track of deposits to his savings account. The Kids Club, a banking program from Huntington Bank, allows children to learn about saving money and the operations of a bank.
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A Taft Elementary student counts the change deposited by a fellow student in a program on banking.
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
Kindergartner Christian Alvarado deposited $5.65 into his Huntington Bank account at Taft Elementary School to end the school year.
Christian, 6, amassed $32.65 in the account since September, collected from change his mother gives him.
“When my mom gets money back, she gives it to me,” he said.
Taft was the first Mahoning Valley school to participate in the Kids Club, a program by Huntington Bank that teaches children financial literacy, said Alyssa M. Sebastiani, general manager at the branch of Huntington on Raccoon Road, Austintown.
Fifth-graders work as bank employees. They completed job applications for positions ranging from security guard, marketing team and teller to coordinator, assistant coordinator and bank manager.
“Then we interviewed them,” Sebastiani said. “It was just like it would be in the real world.”
After the fifth-graders were selected for the positions, all Taft students were able to open savings accounts.
Twice monthly, the students bring their bank books, cash and change to the bank housed in the school library and give it to bank personnel who deposit and record their money.
Fifth-graders Curtasia Daniels and Jakara Hill, both 11, and Christina Harris, 10, aided Christian with his deposit.
“I write down the date, his name and the money deposited in his bank book,” Curtasia said.
Christina fills out the deposit slip.
“It’s important to save your money and to be serious about your job,” Jakara said. Curtasia started a savings account through the program with money she earns by doing chores. She added deposits from her allowance and part of her birthday money.
Najana Hopson, 11, a fifth-grader, plans to move to Columbus at the end of the school year and will continue to make deposits to add to the $25.20 she has in there now.
“It’s important to save money and to keep track of your money,” Najana said.
At another station, fifth-graders Aimara Soto and Alicia Patterson, both 11, and Serena Butler, 10, helped other schoolmates with their deposits.
Fifth-grader Damaria Jefferson, 10, was a security guard at the school bank.
“We go around the school and pick up all the people who have money to deposit, and we bring them here to deposit it,” Damaria said. “We take them back to class, too.”
Principal Michael Flood said the program helps students learn about banking and the jobs involved.
“It allows them to handle real money and experience the value of making deposits, keeping a personal financial record and saving for the future,” he said.
“We are certainly appreciative of the involvement and support from our teachers and from our guidance counselor, Mrs. Patricia Scalzo, in leading this exciting initiative, which is a unique learning experience for our students.”