Staff from Wells Fargo provided information on budgeting, banking and savings for the $ixth Grade ¢ents program at Eliot Middle School in PUSD.

The Pasadena Chamber is returning to Charles W. Eliot Arts Magnet Academy for the fourth offering of $ixth Grade ¢ents. The Chamber, with support from Chamber members, will present five weeks of programming to all the 6th graders at the school. $ixth Grade ¢ents is provided through the math classes at the school.

The Chamber began the most recent series of $ixth Grade ¢ents on Tuesday, October 18th and will continue each Tuesday until November 15th. Curriculum is provided by Pasadena Chamber members Ideal Youth, Pasadena Service Federal Credit Union and Wells Fargo. Volunteers from each organization provide instruction in basic financial literacy on topics such as banking, budgeting, credit and credit cards, the stock markets and planning for the future. $ixth Grade ¢ents culminates in a pizza party for all student participants on the final day of the program.

This year, for the first time, $ixth Grade ¢ents will revisit concepts taught to last year’s sixth graders. During a one-day program, Chamber volunteers will return to Eliot and visit with seventh graders to reinforce the basic concepts from the previous year.

“$ixth Grade ¢ents was our way to help ground young people in the basic principles of financial literacy while reinforcing the importance of education to their futures,” said Pasadena Chamber CEO Paul Little. “We wanted to reach students when they are receptive to new ideas and concepts and before they may have made decisions that will negatively impact their future. By focusing on money and finance, we hope the young people start thinking about what the lifestyle they envision for themselves ten of fifteen years in the future may be and how they can achieve that.”

Pasadena Chamber staff worked with the math teachers at Eliot to craft $ixth Grade ¢ents into a program that would engage the students and support their mathematics instruction. “Each module includes some math work,” said Mr. Little. “Since it involves money, students are engaged in applying the math they are learning in school to the $ixth Grade ¢ents problems.”

$ixth Grade ¢ents is structured to engage the students, get them thinking about their future and learn the basics of personal finance. The curriculum is structured this way:

• October 18th: Investing and the Stock Market: Students will gain an understanding of how the stock market works. In addition, they will learn about risk, gains and losses. This module will be led by Ideal Youth.

• October 25th: You and Your Money. Utilizing proven curriculum, our first module will discuss the basics of banking, assessing value and earning power. Students will understand how banking works and why it is important to safeguard money. They will also discuss how to ascertain value and earning/buying power. One class will be led by Wells Fargo staffand the other will be led by Pasadena Service Federal Credit Union.

• November 1st: Budgeting: 6th graders will understand the importance of budgeting, including how to budget their money and how to plan for the future. One class will be led by Wells Fargo staff and the other will be led by Pasadena Service Federal Credit Union.

• November 8th: Credit and You: The Workshop will provide information on credit, credit cards and different types of loans, as well as determining debt limitations and safe borrowing. One class will be led by Wells Fargo staff and the other will be led by Pasadena Service Federal Credit Union.

• November 15th: Investing and the Stock Market: Students wrap-up their understanding of how the stock market works. This module will be led by Ideal Youth.

“We are very grateful to our partners in the program,” said Mr. Little. “The math teachers at Eliot helped us put the program together in a way that complements their classroom instruction. Kardia Pinckney and Ishmael Trone of Ideal Youth helped devise and craft the program, and teach the lessons on the stock market. Wells Fargo and Pasadena Service Federal Credit Union each provide the curriculum, expertise and materials for the budgeting, banking and credit modules.”

Now in its fourth year, $ixth Grade ¢ents is spearheaded by Pasadena Chamber staff members Leanne Waggoner and Amy Foell. “Working with sixth graders can be very invigorating,” said Ms. Waggoner. “It is terrific that we can get them thinking about the future and how they can set and reach goals before they are adults. And it is fun to see them realize their future is full of great opportunities.”

It is the Chamber’s goal to expand the $ixth Grade ¢ents program to other middle schools in the Pasadena Unified School District.

The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association is a professional business organization. Since the earliest days of Pasadena, the Chamber has played a major role in the development of this internationally renowned city. Since 1888, when the organization was founded as the Board of Trade, the Chamber’s primary purpose has been the enhancement of both the business climate and the quality of life in Pasadena. The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce serves 1500 members. http://www.pasadena-chamber.org/