Children in Warren County got a crash course in managing their personal finances this week thanks to a national program and a local bank.
BancorpSouth in Vicksburg partnered with five schools in the Vicksburg-Warren School District to teach children the value of saving money on National Teach Children to Save (TCTS) Day on Friday.
National Teach Children to Save Day was established by the American Bankers Association to spotlight the importance of teaching our nation’s youth about saving money. Since the program was founded in 1997, more than 6 million students have participated.
This event occurs every April when bankers make presentations to students in grades K-12 about budgeting, saving, recognizing needs and wants and how interest makes money grow.
Since the program started in 1997, some 130,500 bankers have taught savings skills to 6 million students.
CRA Officer at BancorpSouth Pam Pugh believes that the program was a great learning experience for the children in Vicksburg.
“I think that this programs will benefit the children and teach them to save and spend their money wisely. This is a lesson that they all should learn,” said Pugh.
Pugh said that exposing children to these practices when they are young would prepare them for the future.
“The best to teach children about saving money is when they are little. If you teach them early, then they will apply it to their lives when they’re older.This lesson will help them with their spending later in their lives.”
Pugh said that the bank will be giving the students their own piggy bank to keep their money in.