Connect With Your Community!
Connect With Your Community!
Reston, VA - The Three Forks Family, Career and Community Leaders of America chapter was recently selected to receive the 2022 FCCLA National Runner Up Financial Fitness Award.
Financial Fitness is a peer education program, created by FCCLA, designed to help youth develop skills in money management, consumerism, and financial planning. The award recognizes chapters that promote making, saving, and spending money wisely.
As the national Runner-Up, the Three Forks FCCLA chapter will receive a $500 award and will be recognized at the 2022 FCCLA National Leadership Conference scheduled for June 29 to July 3.
Finances for Fifth Grade focused on a checking system developed to teach fifth grade students the benefits of hard work and positive classroom behaviors. A monetary system was set up where fifth grade students were able earn $10-$15 dollars in points each week by completing work, doing extra tasks in the classroom, and demonstrating positive learning behaviors. Just like real life students are rewarded for their work with a "paycheck" each week. When the students demonstrate poor work ethic, fail to demonstrate positive classroom learning behaviors, or make poor behavior choices they lose funds from their "paycheck". At the beginning of the project fifth grade students participated in a survey which asked them questions about saving, spending, and investing money. Each student receives their "paycheck" from the teacher on Friday and must balance their checkbook as part of their regular classroom work. At the end of each trimester students may use their funds to purchase a ticket to a classroom party. If students have extra funds, they can purchase extra treats at the party.
The fifth-grade teachers monitor their students and reward the students according to their expectations which were shared with the students at the beginning of the project and reinforced throughout the week. FCCLA member Carey Hansen worked with the fifth-grade class as a teaching assistant. She was able to work with the fifth-grade teachers to develop lessons to teach the classes about saving, investing, and donating a portion of their funds to charitable organizations. After discussing the importance of saving money each fifth grader received a piggy bank to take home. The banks were donated by Montana FCCLA and Montana Financial Education Coalition. Carey also discussed investing money and how students can earn extra money through earned interest by investing their funds. The students can invest their checkbook funds by purchasing free homework passes to be used in the next trimester.
The third and final component of the project was a discussion about donating a portion of their income to purchase playground equipment for the elementary school. Through the Count Me In Grant Provided by Montana FCCLA, Montana Financial Education Coalition, First Interstate Bank, Montana Council for Economic Education and Reach Higher Montana funds donated by the fifth grade students will be used to purchase playground equipment for the elementary school. The elementary playground was removed during a construction project this year. The elementary school has been without a playground or playground equipment all year so new equipment is a top priority for most of the elementary students. The fifth-grade class has been working to raise money for the new equipment when the construction is completed. The fifth graders are highly motivated to contribute to the playground fund.
About FCCLA
Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) is a dynamic and effective national student organization that helps young men and women become leaders and address important personal, family, work, and societal issues through Family and Consumer Sciences education. FCCLA has over 190,000 members and more than 4,500 chapters from 47 state associations, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
FCCLA: The Ultimate Leadership Experience is unique among youth organizations because its programs are planned and run by members, and it's the only career and technical in-school student organization with a central focus on careers that support families. Participation in national FCCLA programs and chapter activities helps members become strong leaders in their families, careers, and communities.
