Economics of Success: Community Volunteers Equip Orchard Middle School 8th-graders with Personal Finance Skills

During February and March of this year, a team of dedicated community volunteers joined Orchard Middle School math educators to bring weekly financial education lessons to every 8th-grade student through the Junior Achievement (JA) program. Volunteers attended a brief training from JA at the outset of the program before jumping in to deliver six weekly 45-minute sessions packed with financial literacy lessons, principles for success, and real-life scenarios explored through games and experiential activities. JA’s interactive “Economics for Success” curriculum formed the basis for weekly lessons with material ranging from self-awareness and personal responsibility to education, budgeting, goal setting, debt, and insurance. 

Representatives from the Young Adult Consumer Education Trust (YACET) coordinated with District staff to deliver the experience to Orchard classrooms. YACET is a Wenatchee based non-profit whose mission is to promote and foster wise spending habits, financial discipline and fiscal knowledge in young adults. The non-profit partners with the North Central Educational Foundation to fund teacher classroom grants. These grants provide teachers the opportunity to fund financial literacy programs, activities, and materials for their classroom. 

The debut volunteer-led program was made possible with the support of Orchard Middle School,
Wenatchee Learns Connect, Wenatchee School District Career & Technical Education, JA and YACET. The following community volunteers dedicated their time to support the classroom. 

Jeff Lau, Plaza Super Jet
Cathie Lau, Confluence Health
Jennifer Sifuentes, Numerica Credit Union
Jessi Mendoza, Numerica Credit Union & YACET board member
Keith Davis, Wells Fargo
Jose Gonzalez, Wells Fargo
Siara Macias, Wheatland Bank
Luke Evans, YACET board member

YACET would like to thank Orchard Middle School Teachers, Genna Fisher and Janelle Blakeney, and Principal Taunya Brown, for welcoming J.A. to the school and for being advocates for financial literacy. Additional support was provided by Wenatchee School District (WSD) Career & Technical Education Director Dennis Conger and WSD Director of Communications and Community Relations Director Diana Haglund for helping to bring people together to make JA at Orchard a reality. Tamra Meyer and Richard Perez of J.A. Washington coordinated and trained the volunteers and educators.

To learn more about YACET and ways to get involved with financial literacy in North Central Washington visit YACET.org