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Concept of the Month: Time, Talent, Treasure

Natasha Rea Bank Leave a Comment

Are you looking for a way to give back this holiday season?  This month, Young Americans Bank has some ideas for how YOU can be a philanthropist!  That’s a big word that means sharing your time, talent, or treasure to make your community a better place.  It’s not as hard as you might think! Time It takes just a moment …

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Deliver A Hands-on Lesson in Financial Education on Colorado Gives Day

Janet Redwine Events Leave a Comment

Coloradans can give the gift of financial literacy to Colorado’s young people by donating to Young Americans Center for Financial Education on Colorado Gives Day!  Donations give students of every background the opportunity to gain “money smarts for kids and money skills for life” at hands-on real-life programs like Young AmeriTowne, YouthBiz for young entrepreneurs, and International Towne. There are …

Depositing $2,785.50 in the bank is exciting no matter how old you are. And if you’ve worked to collect all of the funds yourself, you might be so excited that you couldn’t possibly sit still! FOURTH GRADE STUDENTS MOLLY AND TOMAS ORGANIZE BAGS OF CHANGE TO DEPOSIT AT YOUNG AMERICANS BANK THROUGH THE SPARK CHANGE PROGRAM. This was the case last Thursday as fourth grade students from Graland Country Day School skipped into Young Americans Bank to make a deposit as part of the Spark Change program. Spark Change is a K-8 curriculum that provides a hands-on lesson in philanthropy and leadership as students collect change and then donate their time and talent to local causes. Student leaders have worked on the program throughout the fall, researching causes and collecting change, and their deposit means they are nearing the end. “We have just one more week to go,” said Library Coordinator and program head Linda Sears who supervised the deposit. Students Molly, Tomas, Emory, and Jacob were on-hand to help. Service learning is important to Graland, a private Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade school in Denver. According to its website, “Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.” Ms. Sears echoed this mission, saying, “We’ve been doing the Spark Change program for years because we want to help our community. It’s important for all students.” Spark Change provides a hands-on approach to philanthropy. “I did some extra chores at my house to help earn more money,” said nine-year-old Molly. “And I brought in $41–just me!” Tomas raised $1,000 on a Go Fund Me site that his dad helped him set up. Jacob went into every classroom with posters and information so the school would know what the change drive was all about. And next week, the group plans to picket the “Kiss ‘N Go” drop off line at school to raise even more. TOMAS, JACOB, AND EMORY PEER INTO THE YOUNG AMERICANS BANK COIN MACHINE AS PROGRAM LEADER LINDA SEARS, LIBRARY COORDINATOR AT GRALAND COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL, OBSERVES. Although the group hasn’t narrowed down their nonprofits just yet, they have decided to dedicate their funds to help the environment, to the homeless, and to health–one third to each. “It feels really good to know that we’re helping people and our earth,” said Tomas. Morgan Levy, Assistant Vice President at Young Americans Bank, assisted the group with their deposit, spending most of the time at the change machine. Although she’s helped hundreds of young people with their deposits, this day was particularly memorable. “It’s really fun to get to see how much the students bring in through Spark Change,” she said. “And it’s inspiring, too–change really all adds up!” To learn more about Spark Change or to introduce this program to your students, contact Program Coordinator Kelsie Byrd at kbyrd@yacenter.org.

Graland Students Spark Change

Janet Redwine Programs, Spark Change Leave a Comment

Depositing $2,785.50 in the bank is exciting no matter how old you are.  And if you’ve worked to collect all of the funds yourself, you might be so excited that you couldn’t possibly sit still! This was the case last Thursday as fourth grade students from Graland Country Day School skipped into Young Americans Bank to make a deposit as …

A child with many toys is shown

Three Easy Ways to Help Kids Give This Holiday Season

Janet Redwine Get Involved, Spark Change, Young AmeriTowne, YouthBiz Leave a Comment

Kids are very generous.  So many YouthBiz owners donate a portion (or all!) of their profits to help others.  In Young AmeriTowne last year, students donated an average of $2.25 per student–pretty remarkable given that their salary is only $20-$30.  And in Spark Change, students collect change and donate their time, talent, and treasure to a nonprofit.  As giving it …

2019-20 Youth Advisory Board Photo

Meet a Board Member…or two! Introducing our Youth Advisory Board CoChairs

Janet Redwine General, Get Involved Leave a Comment

The Youth Advisory Board at Young Americans Center for Financial Education provides a valuable youth perspective to the organization while youth gain experience in leadership, business, and philanthropy.  Each year, two Co-Chairs lead the Board by planning and running meetings, setting annual goals, and checking in regularly with staff.  They also help emcee the annual Spotlight on YouthBiz Stars gala! …

Girl puts cash in Young AmeriTowne donation bin

Schlessman Family Foundation Creates a Culture of Giving in Young AmeriTowne

Janet Redwine Young AmeriTowne Leave a Comment

Students from Willow Creek Elementary spent their second-to-last day of fifth grade at an exciting place: Young AmeriTowne!  This experience was even more memorable due to a special philanthropy presentation that included local nonprofits, all thanks to support from Schlessman Family Foundation. Young Americans first collaborated with Schlessman Family Foundation in 2000 to create a philanthropy lesson for Young AmeriTowne.  …

On Friday, April 5, the student leaders of McAuliffe International completed a whole day of service as the culminating activity of Spark Change, a new program of Young Americans Center for Financial Education teaching philanthropy through service learning. This outstanding group of 6th-8th graders has worked together since the fall researching local nonprofits and leading their school in collecting change to donate to these nonprofits. The 50 student leaders who participated in the day of service made a big impact on their community.

A Service Day to Remember

Janet Redwine Programs, Spark Change Leave a Comment

On Friday, April 5, the student leaders of McAuliffe International completed a whole day of service as the culminating activity of Spark Change, a new program of Young Americans Center for Financial Education teaching philanthropy through service learning.  This outstanding group of 6th-8th graders has worked together since the fall researching local nonprofits and leading their school in collecting change …

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Meet a Board Member: Brigid McNamara, Youth Advisory Board Co-Chair

Janet Redwine General, Get Involved Leave a Comment

Brigid McNamara, a Junior at George Washington High School, has an impressive resume.  She’s first in her class, and she’s a member of her school’s Varsity Golf Team, National Honors Society, and Speech and Debate Team.  She is a founder and president of the Bye Bye Bully Club, and she’s a member of the Federal Reserve Bank Board.  But what …

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 …