Budgeting for the annual Homecoming dance or monthly Laid-Back Hangouts is so much more than a simple afternoon of fun; it fosters financial skills. Clubs such as Take Charge and Student Senate bridge the gap between pleasurable activities and the practicality of money management, as well. Students in organizations like these have the opportunity to learn the same fundamental skills that all adults should have, without the risk of losing a house or going bankrupt. Many grown-ups can’t handle money because they have never received proper practice.
Student Senate is the perfect example of a peer-led club that has a pillar of finance readily built in; there is even a committee dedicated to it. High schoolers are put in charge of a budget set aside through fundraising and ticket sales, with help from Amy Tursi, high school science teacher and faculty adviser for Student Senate. Savanah Pope, as the senior class treasurer, is in charge of all the money that comes in and subsequently goes out. Pope said, “I am mainly responsible for what we as seniors spend money on, like Christmas decor and stuff.” Based on project sales, senior Student Senate officers decide on necessities versus wants when they want to upgrade current stock or buy additional decorations. Pope loves being able to bless her fellow high schoolers with beautified hallways. She also said, “I think it is very important to know how to set budgets and know needs. I wish more people would leave high school knowing something about finance.”
Not only are students involved in these activities, but their advisers are as well. Take Charge, Green Bandana, and Fastworks adviser, Michelle Wilson, has spent over a decade ensuring that her leadership groups seamlessly leave high school. Under her supervision, students decide what the needs are for events, and what is the most cost-efficient option. The Take Charge organization raises money by applying for grants, including the most recent, a $2,500 grant from the ISTEP Foundation. Wilson said, “Our leadership team writes the grants we apply for; it is usually around $1,000 in a usual year.” They spend the money on activities such as Laid-Back Hangouts and Lunches, materials for presentations, and promotional events. She said, “They usually like to buy merch like slime and bracelets, bandanas, and shirts for our members.” Wilson thinks that it is important for the students to have a voice in what they buy as an organization because they are the ones leading it. Before high schoolers leave the classroom, they should have a solid foundation of finance to build the rest of their life upon.
From learning profit loss, debt avoidance, and informed decision-making, students will not only bring wealth building and security into later life, but the skills can translate into other areas as well. Understanding profit and loss can help people end unfulfilling relationships, and decision-making aids in determining who to vote for in civic life. High schoolers need to learn from their own mistakes before any real consequences can take place; they need to build their own money roadmap, where budgeting marks the spot. Launching into hands-on learning beats lecturing by miles any day. Money management in school clubs helps students move from classroom theory to real-world application. One should take advantage of these activities while one still has the chance.
