White County students learn X’s & O’s of finance

White County Middle School students will get a leg up on their financial futures with the ideas of teach Marsha Jackson and an Insuring Success Grant.

“We are starting a financial literacy class in my classroom,” Jackson said. “It is all about budgeting, it is all about learning money, so we are needing calculators, we are needing some of the fake money…coins and dollars in fives, tens, and twenties. We are wanting to purchase a finance literacy workbook for each child to be able to work on their own with.”

Jackson leads the White County Middle School SPED Program. She applied for an Insuring Success Grant from Swallows Insurance and Lite Rock 95.9. Her goals for her students among the reasons her application was selected for the latest grant.

“We would love to see our kids be great citizens later in life which includes budgeting, getting jobs, getting on to the high school and being able to follow a path of study there,” Jackson said. “That’s our hope for all of our kids.”

Swallows Insurance Vice President Kelly Swallows presented the check to Jackson during a visit to the school. The Insuring Success Award gives teachers the chance to ask for assistance on programs they believe are important to students like this financial awareness project.

“Visiting with this remarkable teacher to hear how they plan on building a program to help their students with special needs learn to establish life skills was remarkable,” Swallows said. “They have organized a curriculum that can help these amazing kids excel even beyond the classroom walls. Their vision and passion for their students is what this program is all about and we are thrilled to be able to reward them.”

Teachers in any field at schools across the Upper Cumberland can apply for the grants. Applications take just a few minutes and are available at LiteRock959.Com. Both classroom teachers and those in specialty fields can apply.

“We love community outreach programs, we love being able to depend on our community no matter what it is, so we are so thankful for this,” Jackson said.