In order to better prepare Copley students for the time they reach independence, Copley High School continues its successful history of offering classes and programs focused on finance and budgeting. These courses consist of a variety of tools, projects and activities geared toward ensuring the students can be fiscally responsible now and in the future.
Once such course is Personal Finance in which students learn about a range of topics including time management and health, finding a job, budgeting and saving, finding an apartment, buying a car, shopping, checking account management, credit management, online banking, paying taxes, investing, buying a home and insurance. All of these topics introduce the students to a variety of facets many consider to be the cornerstones of “adulthood.” And, while it’s one thing to simply teach the students about fiscal responsibility, it’s another thing to actually let them put those lessons into practice.
AP Microeconomics teacher Mrs. Beagle created a semester-long project that allows students to get a taste of how to put her lessons into practice. “Students would earn a salary for each day they come to class and then they would write me a check for renting their desk on Friday,” Mrs. Beagle said. “All of these transactions are written down on an accounting sheet like you would in a checkbook. Throughout the semester, they do things like buy a car, meal plan and budget for groceries, etc.
“All of these eventually get added into what they pay for on their accounting sheet. Finally, they present a project at the end of the semester where they research their future job, find out the salary, info on 401K and insurance, find a house or apartment in the area they want to live, go over all of their monthly bills, and see how much money they are left with. Then, they discuss different types of investments they could look for with the money they have left over.”
The Economics course even adds to the personal finance aspect, introducing the students to economics on a more macro-level. Econ students recently completed a unit on measuring the health of an economy, which Social Studies teacher Mr. Dies said provided students with some insight into the GDP, unemployment and inflation.
“Not only did students become familiar with the extensive measurements and information available at U.S. government sites such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Bureau of Economic Analysis,” Mr. Dies said. “But also reflected on what this information will mean when making personal financial decisions in the future as they completed a hyperdoc project.”
These courses and more have been a staple for Copley students for years, and it’s clear these programs have had a longstanding positive effect as they begin planning for their future.
