ST. PAUL, Minn. – Cookie Cart of Minneapolis likes to say it helps bake bright futures for Twin Cities urban youth, and this summer, Affinity Plus and the Affinity Plus Foundation worked alongside Cookie Cart to lead two-day financial literacy training sessions for Cookie Cart’s student employees.
Educators from Affinity Plus helped build and facilitate the trainings for three cohorts of student employees in June, July and August. The trainings consisted of two, two-hour sessions on two back-to-back days.
Amy Hanson, Affinity Plus Foundation, said it was gratifying to see students have “a-ha” moments throughout the classes.
“Even though it’s summer and students certainly have lots of other activities and opportunities, we could tell the information we were sharing was relevant and meaningful,” Hanson said.
Budgeting & Goal Setting
During the first session, Affinity Plus employees talked with students about budgeting and saving skills, and how to feel more confident about their personal money management and financial goals, Hanson said.
Students participated in a variety of activities and practiced how to build a budget, and started developing their own budgets based on their ongoing Cookie Cart earnings.
Phillip Moye, a student employee and cart captain, said he and his co-workers also learned a lot about each other.
"I learned that some of my co-workers spend money easier by using the card and some of us spend money if we have cash in our hand,” Moye said. “The sessions also made credit scores memorable. We talked about specific scores, and what goes on your credit and what does not.”
The second session focused on credit, borrowing, and planning for college expenses. Students had questions about when to get their first credit card, how to use it and how to build their credit, said Stephanie Musgrove, financial educator and business development specialist.
Many also expressed an interest in attending college and Affinity Plus employees shared insight about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), scholarship opportunities and using student loans wisely.
Cookie Cart received a 2017 grant from the Affinity Plus Foundation to help fund this summer’s classes.