AmeriTowne On the Road in New Mexico Smiling Students. She is in front of a cash register with others.

Back from Albuquerque

Janet Redwine Young AmeriTowne Leave a Comment

Young AmeriTowne On the Road just returned from its farthest voyage this summer: Albuquerque, New Mexico!  The program delivered a hands-on lesson in financial education to 21 elementary school students through a week-long summer camp program. This summer marks the third consecutive year that AmeriTowne On the Road has reached students in New Mexico.  This year, as in years past, …

Young AmeriTowne Bank customers write checks at the bank

Sponsor Spotlight: Financially fit future thanks to IMA Foundation

Janet Redwine Get Involved, Young AmeriTowne Leave a Comment

Young AmeriTowne and International Towne help prepare young people for the real world.  And thanks to the IMA Foundation, students from all different backgrounds can gain this hands-on experience in financial education. Proud partner IMA supports the Send-a-School initiative of Young Americans Center for Financial Education which provides scholarships to Young AmeriTowne and International Towne.  This education is particularly important …

Students Shake Hands in the AmeriTowne College with graduation cap and outfit. Two other students handshake and praise the graduate.

Sponsor Spotlight: Colorado Community Colleges provide a free education in Young AmeriTowne

Janet Redwine Young AmeriTowne Leave a Comment

Nestled right between the Bank and the Medical Center is a valuable institution: the Young AmeriTowne College. Here, five Colorado Community Colleges ensure that students receive a free education every day! Five educational institutions came together in 2013 to promote hands-on, real world learning: Arapahoe Community College, Community College of Aurora, Community College of Denver, Front Range Community College, and Red …

Finance Minister Paperwork in International Towne Photo

Sponsor Spotlight: Eide Bailly helps students stay on track at Young Americans Center

Janet Redwine International Towne, Programs, Young AmeriTowne Leave a Comment

Every good business person knows that keeping track of money is important.  Thanks to Eide Bailly, students learn this lesson at an early age in Young AmeriTowne and International Towne, and they do it in a hands-on way! In Young AmeriTowne, Accountants manage the money in each shop.  In addition to ensuring each of their citizens receives a physical paycheck, …

feature_blue

Meet a Board Member: Tamara Doi Beck, Senior Vice President and Director, Public Funds & Taft-Hartley Plans at Northern Trust Asset Management

Janet Redwine Bank, Get Involved 3 Comments

This month, Young Americans Center for Financial Education would like to introduce someone who has been involved with hands-on financial education for years: current Young Americans Center Board Member and former Young Americans Bank customer, Tamara Doi Beck. Growing up in north Denver, Tamara Doi Beck was one Young Americans Bank’s first customers when it opened in 1987.  Tamara remembers bringing her …

Young Americans Center for Financial Education welcomes four Daniels Scholar interns to our team this summer! Madison Turner, Sasha Shadrina, Miguel Gonzalez, and Imad Rashed, current college students, have all stepped into roles as Counselors in Young AmeriTowne and Junior Money Matters summer camps. I caught up with three of these exceptional individuals between camps to see how their experiences have been so far. Madison Turner, aka Madi, just finished her freshman year at Texas Christian University. She is working on a communications major there, and knows that she will start her own nonprofit someday. For Madi, this summer has been a “huge learning experience.” Although she has worked with children in the past, seeing them take on new, “adult” roles in Young AmeriTowne demonstrates to her how important financial education is. And, the campers are also fun to watch. “I thought it was a good life lesson when one of my students had to pay a co-pay in the AmeriTowne Medical Center,” said Madi. “He didn’t realize that he would need to put some money aside for emergencies, so this was a good example of why you shouldn’t spend all of your money.” Another accomplished intern, Imad Rashed will begin his sophomore year at Cal Poly this fall where he’s studying business. He was excited about the Young Americans Center opportunity because he thought teaching young people about business would be something different and interesting. Plus, even though he grew up in Denver, he didn’t have an opportunity to do Young AmeriTowne as a kid. In addition to facilitating learning for campers, Imad is excited that he has learned a few lessons himself this summer. “When it seems like nothing is going according to plan, I have to improvise and make sure they have a good experience regardless,” said Imad. He added, “It’s been so great having the opportunity to teach students about the world we live in and to see these lessons really stick with them.” Sasha Shadrina is just as excited about her summer so far. She is a finance major at the University of Denver, and she is also beginning her sophomore year this fall. Passionate about financial education, what she has found most interesting about her experience this summer is infection between her many interests–kids, business, education–that Young Americans Center has provided. Sasha was particularly impacted by her experience at Moorhead Recreation Center two weeks ago where she enjoyed helping kids see a different future for themselves. “It was so meaningful for me to see how much these students learned in just one week,” she said. “Kids who started the week shy ended up running for an election.” The addition of these four interns serves two purposes. Madi, Sasha, Miguel and Imad have all helped our staff deliver quality programs. But even more importantly, these four are serving as such great examples to the students they work with. Thank you to our interns for your time and dedication!

Daniels Scholars Teach and Learn in Young Americans Center Camps

Janet Redwine Classes + Camps, General, Young AmeriTowne Leave a Comment

Young Americans Center for Financial Education welcomes four Daniels Scholar interns to our team this summer! Madison Turner, Sasha Shadrina, Miguel Gonzalez, and Imad Rashed, current college students, have all stepped into roles as Counselors in Young AmeriTowne and Junior Money Matters summer camps.  I caught up with three of these exceptional individuals between camps to see how their experiences have been so …

Campers in Running Your Own Business camp enjoyed an extra treat on their final day of camp last Friday: a visit from 106.7 The Bull’s Chelsea Thomas! Running Your Own Business summer camp teaches the basics of business to third and fourth grade students. Campers learn about marketing and pricing, they learn how to create a business budget, they manufacture products, and they develop a business name and slogan. At the end of the week, campers sell their products in a Mini-Marketplace that’s open to family, friends, and special guests like DJ Chelsea. Owning your own business, even if it’s just for a week, teaches a lot. Cadence, Grace, and Zoe teamed up for “Me, Myself, and I Designs”, and because they didn’t know each other before camp began, they had to learn to work as a team. “That was one of the hardest parts,” said Grace. Cadence chimed in, “But when we finally learned how to work together, it worked really well!” Across the room at a business called “MIP,” co-owner Carson attributed their business success to using product labels. Each product had a description and price, which Carson thought helped customers know what they could buy. “I think it was a really good idea,” he said. CHELSEA PURCHASED PRODUCTS FROM SUMMER CAMP BUSINESSES. DJ Chelsea stopped by the Mini-Marketplace to shop and to see the campers in action. She was impressed with their business savvy, particularly their marketing skills which definitely have a real-world application. “You can tell these kids have learned a lot,” said Chelsea. “I ended up buying two friendship bracelets instead of one because they convinced me that it was such a good deal!” iHeart Media is the parent company behind 106.7 The Bull, which joined Young Americans Center for Financial Education as a proud partner in 2018. This partnership aligns with iHeart’s broader goal to “inform, inspire and support neighborhoods across the U.S.” By supporting hands-on financial education programs like Running Your Own Business summer camp and Young AmeriTowne, where students can have a career for a day in the iHeart Media Radio Station, iHeart Media is helping to educate a generation of young people about how to successfully navigate their finances. And in the words of camper Claire, “You can learn about finance in a really fun way!”

Sponsor Spotlight: iHeart Media provides hands-on, real world experiences

Janet Redwine Classes + Camps, Get Involved Leave a Comment

Campers in Running Your Own Business camp enjoyed an extra treat on their final day of camp last Friday: a visit from 106.7 The Bull’s Chelsea Thomas! Running Your Own Business summer camp teaches the basics of business to third and fourth grade students. Campers learn about marketing and pricing, they learn how to create a business budget, they manufacture products, …

Students stand together in front of Town Hall talking together

Tales from Towne: On the Road at Moorhead

Janet Redwine Young AmeriTowne Leave a Comment

Young AmeriTowne On the Road staff just returned from two fun-filled weeks of summer camp at Moorhead Recreation Center in Aurora.  In total, 46 students participated in two different camps, Young AmeriTowne and Junior Money Matters, experiencing a hands-on lesson in financial education.  And even more important, students gained confidence and education that will carry over into other aspects of …

Students and bus at Young Americans Center

Sponsor Spotlight: Hands-on learning in the heart of Cherry Creek, thanks to Cherry Creek Shopping Center

Janet Redwine Get Involved, Young AmeriTowne Leave a Comment

Hundreds of students gain a hands-on lesson in financial education at Young Americans Center for Financial Education every year.  With its headquarters in Cherry Creek, we shine a spotlight on long-time supporter Cherry Creek Shopping Center which has made this learning possible for the last decade. Students, teachers, and parents appreciate the value of the educational programs at Young Americans …

Young AmeriTowne Ballot Box Photo

Tales from Towne: Real Election Experience

Janet Redwine Classes + Camps, Young AmeriTowne Leave a Comment

“Our vote is our voice.  Our vote is our choice.” –Caroline Bennet, daughter of Senator Michael Bennet There are two elected positions in Young AmeriTowne: Mayor and Judge.  And for campers participating in Young AmeriTowne 2 summer camp last week, the election of these two students provided real-world experience in elections, campaigning, and politics. By Wednesday, students had already participated …