NORTHWEST TALLAHASSEE, FL — A Tallahassee program uses superheroes and interactive games to teach first-grade students financial literacy and improve long-term economic outcomes.
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A Tallahassee program is using superheroes and hands-on lessons to teach first-grade students how to manage money, with the goal of changing long-term economic outcomes in the community.
Inside Springwood Elementary in Northwest Tallahassee, about 75 students rotated through the "Books and Bucks" program. The students practiced how to identify, count, and manage money through interactive activities focused on early lessons in earning, saving, and spending.
"My favorite game today was when they shot the money because I could collect it and put it in the money bag," Shanon Kiser said.
Edward Clark Jr., Founder and CEO of Be Your Own Hero Motivational Network, leads the experience. Clark shows up as a superhero to capture students' attention and build their confidence. He said his love of comic books and superheroes helped improve his reading skills as a child.
"This is important to me because as a child I struggled with reading. Financial literacy at an early age is great because they’ll learn how to save, they’ll learn how to earn and invested money," Clark said.
Educators and community leaders say programs like this address a bigger issue. Limited access to financial education can lead to long-term challenges, ranging from poor money management to fewer economic opportunities. According to Data USA, about one in five children in Leon County live in poverty, a fact leaders say makes early financial education critical.
The "Books and Bucks" program partners with Regions Bank to use storytelling and hands-on learning to close the financial education gap early. Felicia Richardson, a Regions Bank Branch Manager, read to the students and encouraged them to save and spend wisely. She said these are the same lessons she teaches her own children.
"Financial wellness is an important part of the community because of what it does, it helps build our children for their financial paths," Richardson said.
Clark hopes to expand the program and reach even more students across the community.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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