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Penny-Wise
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Ryan Berry, 6, a kindergartner at Taft Elementary School in Youngstown, shows off the money he would deposit Tuesday at PNC Bank in downtown Youngstown as part of the Junior Achievement of Mahoning Valley’s I Can Save program. At 18, the students’ savings from I Can Save may be used to finance higher education, buy a home or start a small business.
By Denise Dick
Youngstown
Little Maria Rose Jones lugged a shopping bag filled with coins up to the PNC Bank teller, stepped onto a stool and made her deposit.
“It’s from Daddy for working,” Maria Rose, 6, a kindergartner at Taft Elementary School, said of the $30.73 she saved.
Maria Rose had to complete chores to earn the money.
“I cleaned up my room and got the clothes off the floor that [her sister] dumped all over the floor because we just moved,” she said.
Maria Rose wants to save the money and one day share it with her mother and “Nana.’’
Kindergarten students at Taft participated in Junior Achievement of Mahoning Valley Inc.’s I Can Save program.
Students rotated between making deposits at the PNC Bank downtown and visiting Oh Wow! The Roger and Gloria Jones Children’s Center for Science & Technology on Tuesday.
The children have been earning deposits this school year based on attendance, participation in JA programs and the attendance of their parents/guardians at quarterly money-management sessions. They’ve also been saving loose change.
Melissa D’Apolito of Junior Achievement said that the money saved and deposited by the students, up to $50, will be matched by the I Can Save program. The program is funded by the Raymond John Wean Foundation and the Youngstown Foundation.
Michele Merkel, JA president, said that studies have determined that the earlier a child begins saving, the higher their aspirations of going to college.
Keyshawn Grant, 6, and Nequan Redmond, 5, saved $11.73 and $2.79, respectively, washing dishes and cleaning their rooms at home.
“I put it in a bank account,” Keyshawn explained of his earnings.
I Can Save is a 13-year program aimed at helping children develop habits of regular saving and making smart spending decisions. JA will make regular deposits into the children’s accounts each year for 13 years.