Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY -- Having a tough time talking to kids about money? Utah parents are getting help from a new financial literacy class in elementary schools.
It coincides with the final challenge of "Utah Saves Week" -- sit down as a family and pick a financial behavior you want to change.
But where do you begin teaching kids about money? It's tricky -- coins and bills, dollars and cents. But a program unique to Utah schools is bringing professionals into the classroom.
"They're able to grasp the lessons if you put them in a fun context," said financial counselor Selena Campbell.
"Finance in the Classroom" is the result of legislation sponsored by Sen. Pat Jones in 2008. It's a push to educate students about finance and economy issues, to give them the tools to make the right decisions and avoid the pitfalls of debt and poor credit long before they are approached with any offers.
"It takes a whole community to raise these kids and with these great partnerships we have new avenues where we can approach the process," said Hill Field Elementary principal Paul Bryner.
They're able to grasp the lessons if you put them in a fun context.
–Selena Campbell
Pared with lessons from mom and dad, it's working.
"A lot of them will say, ‘my parents we'll go shopping and I can't always get what I want,'" said Campbell. "They understand saving and saving for a rainy day." . Topics touch on opportunity costs, scarcity or resources and the value of money. Lessons go from kindergarten to 6th grade.
"I learned how to save and I'm going to start saving now," said 2nd-grader Madison Fields.
Classmate Garett Gaare agrees. "It helps you learn about money more," he said.
That's when you know the program is working -- win over the kids, win over their trust and you've won the opportunity to teach them skills they'll use the rest of their lives.
E-mail: sdallof@ksl.com
