WAYNESBORO, Pa. — Waynesboro Area School District’s efforts to prepare students for the future extend beyond academics and career preparation to practical lessons on how to manage their money.
The Rotary Club of Waynesboro has supported that effort for nearly a decade through its biennial Financial Literacy Days. The most recent event was held Sept. 9 at Waynesboro Area Senior High School.
“The PA Department of Education established a state requirement for financial training for all students starting in 2024-25,” said Kegan Crider, WASHS point of contact. “The district has been at it for nearly 10 years, and the Rotary Club’s ‘Financial Literacy Days’ are an integral part of how we do this. They were concerned about this precise issue for many years before it became a requirement. Former Business Department head Caroline Tassone started this collaboration with Rotary in 2017.”
“One hundred fifty seniors participated in the most recent event,” said Bruce Neterer, Rotary chair for Financial Literacy and a licensed financial planner with Sterling Financial. “In the morning, half participated in a Budget Builder exercise for two hours, while the other half played games with financial lessons. These groups swapped after lunch.”
“The Rotary Club brings a lot of people to this effort,” said Dr. Eda Gjikuria, another member of the WASHS support team. “We provide the rooms, printing and the students, and Rotary brings in skilled people and all the instructional material.”
“It takes about 20 people, a combination of Rotarians and volunteers from the local area, either as part of the setup or to actively participate in this all-day activity,” Neterer said. “All see the value to our community whether club members or not. People from Edward Jones, Coldwell Banker Realtors, James Shoes, Sterling Financial, Primerica, Blue Ridge Risk Partners, F&M Trust, LocalNews1.org, Middletown Valley Bank and others keep coming back to help each year.”
After a day of games and budgeting exercises, winning teams receive McDonald’s gift certificates arranged by Rotarian Bill Kohler. A “pop quiz” at the end gives students a chance to win movie tickets to the Waynesboro Theatre provided by the club.
Superintendent Rita Sterner-Hine, a Rotarian who led a Budget Builder group, said she is pleased with the program’s impact.
“There is nothing more memorable and that makes a greater impact on how individual learners think about their future income and expenses than having adults with years of experience sharing practical financial lessons,” she said.
One young man in Sterner-Hine’s group commented that “children are really expensive!” A young woman in another group said she never appreciated how much detail her dad handles for the family.
“That’s really the point,” Neterer said. “If even a few get the picture of how to manage their money, and apply that when they start earning their way, the whole community will be better for it. We think it’s more than a few.”
The Rotary Club of Waynesboro is a service organization that has supported the local community for more than 100 years. It meets at the Waynesboro Country Club every Tuesday at noon.
