Lisbon Students Learn Financial Fitness‏

  

Lisbon students Kristianna Benoit (left) and Annalise Ciccareli work together planning their personal budgets as part of a real-life scenario for income and expenses as a 22 year during the Financial Fitness Fair.  Students were invited to attend the fair by Lisbon’s Community Partners in Education, Ryan O’Connor, Marketing and Training Officer at Lisbon Community Federal Credit Union.    Photo by Monica Millhime.

Lisbon – Students from Lisbon recently had a opportunity to participate in  a unique out of the classroom learning experience on sound financial planning and investment strategies.  Freshman through senior members of the Lisbon High School young adult volunteer group and their peers at the Gartley Street Program (GSP), along with students from other area high schools, attended a session on money management at the Financial Fitness Fair in Lewiston.  The intense two and half hour event sponsored by Maine’s Credit Unions  invited students to engage in real-life scenarios into the future at age 22.   Students were provided with current market values of expenses and income levels at the specific  jobs of interest according to their personal participant profile.  Members of the area Credit Unions provided portfolios equipped with calculators, fact sheets, charts and spreadsheets for students to prepare their own monthly/annual budgets based on their lifestyle choices.  Credit Union coaches  guided students through the budgeting process and planning of the major expenses associated with the basics in life  including housing, food, transportation, education, clothing, investments, insurance, entertainment, home furnishings, cell phones and credit applications.  “Students were actively engaged with the various aspects of the program all morning, working together as teams to make sure they could meet their monthly expenses,” shared GSP instructor Brian Breton.  Students attending the program were Kristianna Benoit, Paula Caron, Jenna Clifford, Annalise Ciccareli, Meghan Craig, Sarah Craig, Sierra Crosby, Samantha Foote, Sarah Giraldo, Mercedes Hursh, Brandon Laurelez, Branden Murray, Kody Priddle, Kyle Priddle, Brandon Proctor, Abigail Roy, Jared Scipione, Taylor Stevens, Joshua Thompson, David Torres, Molly Watson and Emma Wilson.  Students were accompanied by Breton, guidance counselor, Jean Dolan and Community Resource Coordinator, Monica Millhime.