Partnership Enables Students to Learn Financial Responsibility

The Women’s Fund at the Community Foundation for San Benito County is proud to partner with Junior Achievement (JA) in awarding a grant to provide financial planning curriculum to San Benito County high school students. The pilot program was JA Personal Finance, presented at San Andreas Continuation High School just before the end of the school year. In five sessions, students learned about earning, saving, budgeting, credit, and risk management. They paid attention, asked questions, and completed the classroom activities. Even kids affiliated with a local street gang were taking note and participating. All of the kids took away practical tools they can apply for themselves and share with their families; one of them even asked me for a business card.

This coming school year, thanks to the same grant from the Women’s Fund, JA plans to quadruple programs at San Andreas, with two programs scheduled each semester. JA will present Personal Finance again, along with a new program titled Career Success. Barbara Shackleton of Bianchi, Kasavan & Pope, reported her experience, “I am very excited to be a part of this program and believe it has the potential to have a positive, long-term impact in the community.”