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Sponsor Spotlight: CoBiz ensures that all students can access AmeriTowne

Janet Redwine Get Involved, Young AmeriTowne 2 Comments

On a recent day in Young AmeriTowne, 10-year-old Ricardo* was having the time of his life.  You couldn’t walk past the Market without hearing him call out to customers, and he had a huge smile on his face as he helped customers pay for their products at the cash register.  Ricardo and his fellow classmates participated in this beloved program …

A Young AmeriTowne KeyBank teller holds a cash stack in his hands

Sponsor Spotlight: There’s nothing else like it, thanks to KeyBank

Janet Redwine Get Involved, Young AmeriTowne Leave a Comment

“Have you ever done anything like this before?” This question was asked to a group of 5th graders from Slavens Elementary School as they patiently waited in line to make a deposit at KeyBank in Young AmeriTowne. All said they had waited in line before. A few said they had even been to a bank with their parents.  But only one student, Crystal*, …

The City of Lakewood Welcomes You to Young AmeriTowne

Sponsor Spotlight: City of Lakewood brings citizenship to life

Janet Redwine Get Involved, Programs, Young AmeriTowne Leave a Comment

Cities and towns are comprised of many different parts that work together to form a strong community. Young AmeriTowne participants in Belmar experience this concept first-hand, thanks to the long-time support of City of Lakewood, which is celebrating its 50thanniversary in 2019. Young AmeriTowne, a hands-on lesson in free enterprise, began in 1990.  By 2000, there was a 70-school wait list …

Young AmeriTowne 2019

A hands-on lesson in free enterprise. YOUNG AMERITOWNE: [ ] KATHARINE, 5TH GRADE: I learned how the flow of money works, how to balance a checkbook register, and why you need to understand economics. Young AmeriTowne Reaching nearly 34,100 youth per year, Young AmeriTowne is an award-winning educational program offered to 4th, 5th and 6th grade teachers to help students learn about business, ...
Children's Hospital Business Cards

Sponsor Spotlight: Children’s Hospital Colorado provides real career experience

Janet Redwine Get Involved, Young AmeriTowne Leave a Comment

In Young AmeriTowne, students get their first taste of what being an adult is like.  The Medical Center is no exception, and thanks to Children’s Hospital Colorado, students working in Young AmeriTowne Denver and AmeriTowne On the Road gain real-world experience in the medical field! Young AmeriTowne lessons begin in the classroom, where students work together in business teams to …

Girl Donating in YT

Tales from Towne: Students make a difference, will you?

Mary Tallerday-Smith Get Involved, Young AmeriTowne Leave a Comment

Philanthropy is a big part of financial literacy, and it’s something that students who come to Young AmeriTowne take to heart!  With Colorado Gives Day just around the corner on Tuesday, December 4, making a difference is top of mind.  So, we’d like to share two “tales of philanthropy” to help inspire you! First, some background.  At school, students take …

Students Donating in Station at YAT

Sponsor Spotlight: Giving is for kids, too, thanks to Community First Foundation

Janet Redwine Events, Get Involved, Young AmeriTowne Leave a Comment

This is the time of year when we think about giving back to our communities.  Thanks to Community First Foundation, young people can actively participate in philanthropy themselves! According to its website, Community First Foundation was founded in 1975 as Lutheran Medical Center Foundation.  The name has changed over the years, but the mission to “increase generosity and power community …

Do you know the difference between a debit and a credit card?  A surprising number of young adults don’t.

According to a 2016 study done by LendEdu , 43% of college students couldn’t explain at least one difference between a debit and credit card.  Although the survey was small, only 455 students, that’s still a high number.

Thanks to Worldpay , formerly Vantiv, students who participate in Young AmeriTowne or International Towne gain hands-on experience about the difference between debit and credit cards.  International Towne participants receive a credit card, which they can use to pay for goods and services in Towne.  Using credit is particularly convenient because students don’t have to exchange money when they shop in a foreign country.  In Young AmeriTowne, 5th graders use a debit card to make purchases, and the funds are automatically withdrawn from their checking account.

When I asked 10-year-old Rehoboth, an Accountant working in the AmeriTowne Snack Shop, about the difference between a debit and credit card, he responded right away.  “A credit card uses money from the bank, and you have to pay it back later,” he said.  “A debit card takes money from your checking account.”  Rehoboth added that four shoppers had already used their Worldpay debit card to purchase snacks.

Young Americans Center for Financial Education is grateful for partners like Worldpay that prepare young people to be financially responsible adults someday.  Maybe Rehoboth can teach those college students a thing or two!

Sponsor Spotlight: Worldpay teaches kids credit vs. debit

Janet Redwine General, Get Involved, International Towne, Young AmeriTowne Leave a Comment

Do you know the difference between a debit and a credit card?  A surprising number of young adults don’t. According to a 2016 study done by LendEdu, 43% of college students couldn’t explain at least one difference between a debit and credit card.  Although the survey was small, only 455 students, that’s still a high number. Thanks to Worldpay, formerly …

OTR Shopping Center

AmeriTowne On the Road Grand Junction: Better than Halloween

Janet Redwine Young AmeriTowne 2 Comments

Young AmeriTowne On the Road, presented by CoBank, has just returned from its fourth trip to Grand Junction, where this hands-on program in financial literacy reached more students than ever before!  In six weeks, 1,081 students ran their own Towne for a day, learning the basics of economics, personal finance, civics, and business. A highlight of the Grand Junction trip …

Bank Deposit in AT

Sponsor Spotlight: AmeriTowne a lot like being an adult, thanks to FirstBank

Janet Redwine Events, General, Get Involved, Young AmeriTowne Leave a Comment

Quinn is just 11 years old, but she has a lot of responsibility.  As the Vice President of FirstBank at Young AmeriTowne, Quinn has to make payments, ensure every shop pays off their business loan, and report on the business income.  It’s a lot like being an adult. This experience is possible through the generous support of community partners like …