Midstate school teaching children good financial habits
(WHTM) – Many adults struggle when it comes to issues surrounding money and experts say learning good financial habits early in life is key.
Susquehanna Township High School teamed up with PSECU for a new program that helps teens learn about financial literacy.
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“What you see here is called the reality fair,” says teacher Elena Charles. “Our students in financial management and other business classes have the opportunity to go to each station and get a little dose of reality…it’s adulting 101.”
One of those ways is through a simulation where students are given a hypothetical job and cash. The rest is up to them, everything from housing, loans, cars, food, and entertainment.
“Of all the financial literacy course classes you can have out there, this is my absolute favorite,” remarked Karen Rousche, a Community Engagement Program Manager with PSECU.
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The student’s budget is completely up to them and Rousche says many of these life skills are not being taught in schools. She says they’re stepping up to make sure students are prepared to enter the real world.
“It’s basically strategizing what’s most important,” said student Schuyler Coles. “Going from most important to least important, my insurance is most important that’s what we went to first, and least important is pets, stuff like that I don’t need.”
Elena Charles has been teaching at Susquehanna Township for 35 years and she knows how important it is for students to learn financial literacy now.
“As a teacher of finance, we want our students to understand everything that they are going to have to do in life so that they are set and they understand what they have to do when they are adults,” she said. “I don’t want them to have any surprises.”
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The program even caught the eye of Pennsylvania’s Auditor General Tim DeFoor, who wants to see programs like Susquehanna Township’s go statewide. A new law will require high school students to pass a financial literacy course to graduate, which DeFoor says is a good first step.
“By making smart decisions here, means they’re going to make smart decisions when they go out into the real world,” said DeFoor. “I’m sure as an auditor that makes you happy, that makes me very happy because I see the results of people not making smart and sound financial decisions.”
Mrs. Charles agrees, and that’s why she goes above and beyond to teach it.
“I want to make sure they have an emergency fund, I want them to understand how much a car note costs, I want them to understand interest, I want them to understand what predatory lending is. I speak to them about these things in order to give them the information that they need so that they are not taken advantage of. I want them to have a strong solid foundation in finance.”
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It’s a lesson that students like Schuyler appreciate.
“It is a first step to stepping out into the real world, it gets you prepared and ready. Do you think you’re ready? Not as much as I thought I was gonna be but I think I’m getting there.”
The Department of Education will develop the statewide curriculum for all public and private high schools to include “the basic principle involved with earning, spending, saving and investing money.” Classes will begin in the 2026 school year.
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