Laurel Highlands students earn national recognition for financial literacy
To the victors go the spoils.
For 72 Laurel Highlands High School students, those spoils came in the form of live music, food trucks, and a mechanical bull. The fun recognized the students无毛视频� hard work in bringing home a first place win for middle-sized high schools across the U.S. in the Intuit Hour of Finance Challenge.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檇 like to think it was because of my teaching,无毛视频� their teacher Jeremy Bryson said with a smile. 无毛视频淏ut honestly this was a great group of students. They were dedicated, focused and just very determined to win.无毛视频�
Bryson无毛视频檚 team of students, from grades 9 through 12, competed against 273 other schools in a series of interactive web-based games in which students earn points as they navigate and make choices to earn income, pay bills, take out loans, and manage savings and investments.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 glad we got to learn something like this,无毛视频� said 16-year-old sophomore Ella Hopkins. 无毛视频淭his is something we无毛视频檙e going to need for the rest of our lives.无毛视频�
Intuit, an American software company that specialized in finance software, hosted the competition as well as sponsored Thursday无毛视频檚 celebration.
Dave Zasada, vice president of corporate responsibility for Intuit, said he and his team developed this program to try to make financial literacy an engaging educational experience for students.
无毛视频淥ur approach as a technology company was really trying to make it interactive,无毛视频� Zasada said. 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e not just interested in kids becoming financially literate, we want them also to be capable and competent.无毛视频�
The interactive experience takes students away from traditional lecture-based learning and allows students to apply concepts in real-world scenarios.
无毛视频淥ur content throughout our intuitive education platform has interactive activities (and) hundreds of videos that appeal to the Tik-tok generation,无毛视频� Zasada said.
Arianna Bradly, a 15-year-old sophomore, said the interactive approach made the learning experience 无毛视频渆ngaging.无毛视频�
无毛视频淚t gave us a different perspective on money,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淚t showed us real experience with accounting and finances.无毛视频�
In addition to the afternoon of fun, students were also recognized by local and state leaders who heaped praise on the young people for being so attentive to financial literacy.
无毛视频淏y mastering these skills now, you无毛视频檙e positioning yourself to make more informed choices, avoid debt and take advantage of opportunities for a brighter future,无毛视频� said state Rep. Charity Grimm Krupa, R-Smithfield. 无毛视频淵ou无毛视频檙e all ahead of the curve, and that无毛视频檚 something to be proud of.无毛视频�
Krupa also praised the school district for offering financial literacy classes.
无毛视频淵ou无毛视频檙e giving these students the tools they need to navigate the complexity of a modern economy,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淵our commitment to their education and preparing them for real world challenges deserves to be recognized and celebrated.无毛视频�
Students who participated in the program also received a gift bag from Intuit which contained a new laptop.
As for any advice for fellow Gen-Z无毛视频檈rs, Ava Cook, 15, said knowledge is power.
无毛视频淓veryone should be learning this stuff,无毛视频� the sophomore said. 无毛视频淚f you have a financial course in your school you should take it. It无毛视频檚 important stuff to know.