Financial Education Isn’t Mandatory in Our Schools YET

Adults talk about what’s wrong with kids these days. Kids don’t want to work very hard, they don’t know how to do anything (but play on the computer), they spend hours upon hours texting their friends. The conversation includes conjecture about how our teens will fare as adults. The conversation rarely concludes positively because one of the most critical things kids need to learn is how to manage their money and invest it for the future. Without this information, a large percentage of our young adults continue to struggle financially.

Until financial education is a regularly-scheduled class in schools, we’re destined to graduate generations of students who won’t know how to manage their money, much less build a financial future. But Santa Barbara’s Camp Millionaire comes to the rescue by offering parents a two-day weekend financial education workshop for kids 10-14.

“Crafted from our popular summer camp, the weekend Camp Millionaire was created to give parents an easy way for their kids to learn about saving and investing without the hassle of a week-long commitment in the summer,” says Elisabeth Donati, creator of Camp Millionaire.

“Parents often tell us they don’t have a clue how to teach their own children the value of buck, so this two-day event is designed to get the most critical information in quickly, in a way that makes the information stick! By participating in our unique financial game, The Money Game®, kids end up remembering the information long after the weekend is over. Kids leave the program having learned great financial habits and have a solid foundation that will last them a lifetime,” Donati explains. Three of the 26 financial principles kids learn in Camp Millionaire are:

Pay yourself first.

Put your money to work for you.

If you can’t afford it in cash, you can’t afford it at all!

“Most adults think financial literacy should be taught in school ~ it should be, but it’s not.” says Donati. “It’s up to those of us in the financial education arena to make sure the next generations get a solid financial education before they leave home so mom and dad don’t have to pick up the pieces.”

The next Camp Millionaire will be held March 26/27 at the Veteran’s Memorial Building, 112 West Cabrillo Blvd. Pre-registration is required. There are a few scholarships available. Creative Wealth also donates a portion of each child’s registration fee to their local PTSA if more than two students from a school sign up for camp. Elisabeth Donati is available for interviews and can be reached at 805-957-1024. For more information, please visit www.CampMillionaire.com.