South Dearborn Middle School Teacher Receives Grant from Retired Teachers Foundation

The funding supported a financial literacy program.

Photo provided.

(Aurora, Ind.) - Amy Deaton, a Family and Consumer Science teacher at South Dearborn Middle School, recently received grant funding through the Civista Charitable Foundation and the Dearborn County Retired Teachers Foundation. 

The funding made the financial literacy program possible for her middle school students. 

The goal for her project was to move beyond the textbook to provide students with real, hands-on experience in managing money. This was achieved through a multi-faceted approach that included:

1. Foundational Knowledge: Using the Living in the Real World curriculum from Nasco Education, students were taught complex concepts like budgeting, managing debt, and understanding banking and finance apps.

2. Skill Building: Employing the Checkbook Charlie workbook from Nasco Education, students practiced banking basics, learned how to write a check, and completed a 30 entry check register.

3. Real-World Simulation: Utilizing the game PayDay, students had a fun, low-risk, hands-on experience of navigating a monthly financial cycle, including bills, bonuses, and unexpected expenses.

This program benefited every student by shifting their perspective from passive consumers to active financial planners. Maria (name changed for anonymity) is a middle school student who, like many others, has witnessed her low-income family struggle with month-to-month budgeting. She looked forward to finding ways to build better habits for the future. The practical lessons clicked for her. By tracking hypothetical finances in the Checkbook Charlie workbook and experiencing the ups and downs of the PayDay game, she gained critical money management skills she can apply right now. She can apply these skills to track her allowance and small earnings and helped her realize that she doesn’t have to wait until she has a full-time job to start practicing good habits. These early habits can help her plan for future major purchases, like a car in a few years when she is old enough to drive and build a financially healthy future.

“Thank You! I am deeply grateful for the support in empowering our students with these life-changing skills. We would also like to extend a special thanks to Amanda Corsemeier with the Civista Charitable Foundation for their support and dedication to our community," said Deaton.