The term "Finance" can be a scary concept, but it doesn't have to be. Money isn't scary, is it?
Finance is simply the science of funds (money) management. Once you learn the basics to this science, you will be well on your way to meeting your financial needs and desires. Learning to deal with money successfully is an important skill to acquire. An earlier start will lead to a higher finish.
Our Financial Skills Program is geared towards teaching youth between the ages of 14 to 21 money skills to help them get started on the right path to their financial futures. This program is designed to be interactive and fun! Here's what you will be learning:
Personal Finances and Accounting:
Personal Finance is about deciding what you want to do and planning how you are going to do it. In this session you will learn the basic concepts of finance – time, money, risk – and how they are interrelated, and the basics to accounting— balance sheets, income statements, etc. This course is jam-packed with financial fun. You will not want to miss out on this one, guaranteed!
Credit Cards and Contracts
Want a credit card but don’t know how to go about it? Not sure what contracts are telling you? Well, this is the class for you! Learn all about credit rating and what it means to be in a contract. You don’t want to let yourself get all caught up in legal terms. After this session, you will be on your way to making informed decisions that pertain to your life.
Student Loans/Scholarships
Thinking about your future? Don’t have the necessary funds? This session will teach you all about student loans and scholarships and how you may be eligible. Learn about different scholarship and loan options, where to find them, and how to pick the right one for you. The skills learned in this class could just leave you with more money in your pocket!
Mortgages, Interest, and Loans
Yes, it may sound boring, but it is information you do not want to miss out on! When you go to buy your first house or take out a loan for your first car, the skills you lean in this session about interest rates and types, sizes, and maturity of mortgage loans will come in handy. Be smart with you financial decisions. Sign up, and you’ll know what to do!
Personal Taxes and Chairtable Donations
There may come a time when you don’t have any help with your taxes and you have to file them yourself – not fun. Well, let us be your help! In this class, you will become your own personal tax professional through learning how to do your own personal tax return, what to include, how to claim charitable donations, and much more.
Insurance and Security
From a young age we have all been learning the importance of safety and how to, well, stay safe. Safety also takes form when dealing with your finances in the form of insurance and securities. Here you will learn all about the types of insurance, its importance, risk management, financial securities, and more! Take the safe route. Sign up for our Insurance and Security session and become your own financial officer.
Investments/Investing
This session will be an investment in your future. Before you can begin to think about investing money, it is imperative that you learn the basics of what it means to invest money, how the stock market works, and associated risks with investing. It may not be all fun and games, but you may get to create a mock stock market in class! Don’t miss out!
Your Achievement
Each session will provide youth with the chance to earn Monopoly Money, which will be used during the Investment Session at the end of the program. Through the help of your facilitator, you will be required to invest the money you earned, and have the chance to win a prize for the most sound investment strategy. All projects that are completed in each session will be added to your Financial Skills Portfolio. Intrigued?
Our Mission
It is our goal to provide 14-21 year old 4-H members with a program that helps prepare them for their future in a way a school math class may not be able to. The more knowledgeable and experienced you are in financial matters, the better off you will be. With this in mind, you don’t want to miss on the new 4-H Financial Skills Program!
Member Commitment
To receive a 4-H Certificate of Achievement, members must attend 5 of 7 sessions and complete all activities assigned to be kept in their Financial Skills Portfolio. The Investments/Investing session is mandatory for completion of the Financial Skills Program.
Schedule
(Tentative and subject to slight changes)
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Last two Tuesdays in April: April 19, 26
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Tuesdays in May: May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
All sessions will begin at 6:00pm. Sessions end time will be determined, with some ending at 8:00pm, and others at 9:00pm.
The goal is to offer this program in each region, if not every district. To warrant the coordination of offering it in your area, we need at least 8 names of 14-21 year old memebrs by February 11, to give us time to arrange resource people for April and May. If we get 5-7 names for any particular area, we will strive to share hosting between areas.
We will also provide car pool information to those who sign up for it.
Cost
$10—to help offset the cost of snacks and facilitator gifts.