Pennies, nickels, and paper piggy banks covered the tables as scholars in Open Doors Academy classrooms practiced counting money, talking about saving, and imagining what they might work toward one day.
This spring, volunteers from Third Federal Savings & Loan visited ODA elementary sites to lead hands-on financial literacy lessons that blended math, creativity, and critical thinking in ways scholars could immediately connect to.
Lessons on coins and dollar bills quickly turned into conversations about goals, choices, and entrepreneurship. When volunteers asked what kind of business they might start to earn money for something important, the answers came quickly: a lemonade and snack stand, a garage sale, a car wash, and bath bombs.
“I was impressed with the children in the class,” said Amy Garcia, Community Development Service Manager at Third Federal. “They learned to identify pennies, dimes, quarters, nickels, and dollar bills, talked about the importance of savings, and came up with business ideas to earn money for something they wanted.”
Garcia shared that her passion for financial literacy began with a simple insight: money habits start early.
“By age 7, children already begin forming habits with money,” she said. “It is never too early to learn good money habits.”
At Breakthrough Willard, scholars kept talking about savings goals long after the sessions ended. During the final visit, each scholar received a piggy bank to take home — a simple reminder that planning ahead can start early.
For many scholars, these lessons were an early opportunity to connect saving, decision-making, and creativity with goals for their future.
