Rural Young Americans
Rural Young Americans Center for Financial Education, LLC, is located in Wray, Colorado, eight miles from the border of Kansas. Rural Young Americans offers Rural AmeriTowne to elementary and middle students throughout the eastern plains of Colorado and across the borders of Kansas and Nebraska.
For more information and to register, email ruralameritowne@plainstel.com or call 970-332-3150.
Rural Young Americans Center for Financial Education, LLC
32415 Highway 34
P.O. Box 312
Wray, Colorado 80758
970-332-3150
Rural Young AmeriTowne
Rural AmeriTowne is a unique hands-on lesson in free enterprise that introduces middle-school students to the basic principles of our economic system by allowing them to run their own life-like town of ten businesses in a rural setting. The program was designed to provide young people with relevant work and life skills.
At school, students engage in a variety of interactive lessons in the classroom that focus on banking, civics, free enterprise, advertising, laws, philanthropy, job interviews and more. Students prepare for their day in Towne by interviewing for jobs, conducting employee business meetings, and attending job-training sessions.
During their day at Rural AmeriTowne, the students-turned-citizens put into practice what they have learned in the classroom. A ribbon-cutting ceremony and swearing-in of elected government leaders will mark the official Towne opening. Then students-turned-citizens will rush off to work in the positions they were ‘hired’ for, working together with their co-workers to successfully run their business:
As producers and consumers in their own economy, students quickly recognize that every decision they make affects their personal and business finances.
- They see first-hand what happens to supply and demand as they change prices.
- They understand the power of marketing as they lure customers away from their competitors.
- They grasp the meaning of opportunity costs as they evaluate how to spend their salaries.
- They begin to recognize their skills and interests from a career perspective.
And that’s only the beginning.
Holyoke Elementary School Teacher:
Finding a curriculum that presented the students with a real life look at our country’s systems of free enterprise and government filled a need that our schools have been missing for a long time.
Teacher Orientation
Teacher orientation and refresher sessions for the school year are offered during the months of October through March to provide critical information about mechanics of the Young AmeriTowne program and classroom materials.
- The five-hour orientation is required for all teachers who have not previously taught the Young AmeriTowne curriculum.
- Refresher sessions will be determined upon teacher requests.
- All sessions are conducted at Rural Young Americans Center, 32415 US Hwy 34, Wray, CO 80758.
- Beverages and snacks will be available for Teacher Orientations. For the refresher sessions, feel free to bring a snack.
- Plan to attend an orientation or refresher session at least two months prior to your Towne date. Advance reservations are required to allow time to prepare the appropriate number of curriculum, updates and classroom materials , which will be available at each session.
- To reserve your spot, contact Director of Programs at 970-332-3150.
- If you do not plan to attend either an orientation or a refresher session, please contact Director of Programs Registration to arrange a time to pick up curriculum updates and classroom materials – at least 2 weeks notice required for pick up (NO EXCEPTIONS).
- Materials will be available for pickup two weeks after receiving your signed contract and deposit. Please call 2-weeks ahead for materials pick up.
