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Our Belmar location doesn’t get too see to many kids during the summer, and this week we kicked off the first of two summer camps held in Belmar. This camp is a Young AmeriTowne camp, in which we aim to prepare these youngsters for running towne on Friday. Within the week they are here, they will learn about Free Enterprise, what it means to have a job, having a checking account with a debit card, how to write a check and a deposit slip, and many many more entrepreneurial lessons.
By far my favorite lesson to teach is our philanthropy lesson. This doesn’t happen until Thursday, and it is one of the coolest lessons to see reach the minds of youngsters. In this lesson we teach three ways you can give back without having much to give back, they are giving of your Time, Talent, or Treasure. Kids during the summer have an unlimited amount of time, an uncanny ability to grow and develop talents, and maybe a few treasures they might be done with, and ready to donate. Even with our youngest group of campers we encourage “Spend, Save, Share Jars” in which they can divide their allowance, or money they have made with a small business into three categories of spending money, money to save, and money to share.
Often the sharing is done with a little brother or a little sister who may not have the same access to money. Allowing kids to consider sharing is a difficult process, because they feel lucky to have any money at all in the first place. When youngsters are shown a great example; such as the Young Americans Center for Financial Education, which was founded by philanthropy; they are likely to follow.
As summer nears an end, with one more week of summer camp to go, this lesson serves as a reminder for the adults as well, making it easy to give back and share some of our great talents. For me I know I have a few treasures ready for a new home and a couple nights a week that I can afford to give to deserving organizations around Denver that need a hand.
Teacher Tip:
Make it personal! Share your philanthropic side! When the students can connect with you, it makes it a lot easier to ask them to connect with others.
