Mar 17, 2024 By Mark Hofmann 3 min read

Fayette County 4-H is testing a new club, offering kids as young as 10 lessons about the ins and outs of finances.

And, said organizers, their students seem eager to learn.

Plans for the Fayette 4-H Finance Club were put into motion last year when Kailee Firestone with PNC Bank came up with the concept and contacted the Penn State Extension Office in Uniontown to pitch the idea.

Jennifer Deichert, a 4-H educator, said they decided to run the program as a three-week special interest club, gauging interest from 4-H members.

With Deichert and Firestone as co-instructors, the classes ran one day a week for three weeks beginning on Feb. 27 and ending March 12.

Each class was an hour long and was attended by about four students ranging in age from 11 to 15.

“The first meeting was budgeting, as well as wants versus needs,” Deichert said.

The second week was spent learning about savings and compound interest, while the final class covered credit cards and fraud.

Because of the age range of the participants involved, Deichert said she and Firestone tailored the classes to fit the ages of the students.

For some of them, the experience was eye-opening.

In the first class, Deichert said, they discussed careers, salaries and budgeting. An 11-year-old girl picked the career of a state trooper, and said she wanted to live in a mansion.

Then, she got a little taste of what adulthood is like.

Firestone told the girl who much she could expect to make … then she explained expenses.

The dream of a mansion was quickly reduced to one of a townhouse – then, it became an apartment.

“The adults may know first hand, but the kids are just starting to understand the process,” Deichert said.

That’s not to say the kids aren’t having a good time.

One mother told Deichert her daughters, both students in the class, came back excited about what they’d learned and couldn’t stop talking about their financial lessons.

“The 11-year old said she can’t wait until next week and learn about early retirement,” Deichert said.

Deichert said once the club grows out of its short-term status, they’ll be able to further develop it, offering service learning projects and introducing more advanced subjects like investing and the stock market.

If the interest level is there, another three-week session will be held in May or June.

The club is only open to 4-H members in any county. Joining 4-H is $30 yearly, and allows members ages 10 to 18 to join in any of the other clubs the organization offers.

Those interested in signing up can do so by contacting Deichert at jld61@psu.edu or by calling 724-438-0111.

For more information, visit the website extension.psu.edu and search for Fayette County or visit their Facebook page at “Pennsylvania 4H-Fayette.”