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A Decade of Money Madness
 A decade ago, Pam Days-Luketich, AVP, Community Outreach Officer at Chelsea Groton Bank, and a personal finance teacher from Wheeler High School discussed the idea of educating high school students about the importance of money management. It seemed like a real need, so Pam and the teacher coordinated the first Money Madness for the senior class at Wheeler. Fast forward 10 years, and the program has grown to include over 300 students annually from Fitch High School, Marine Science Magnet High School, Grasso Tech, Stonington High School, Norwich Free Academy, Sachem Street School, Montville High School, Waterford High School and Wheeler High School.
"I began spending a lot of time in high schools as part of Chelsea Groton's Community Education program. It was gratifying to work with the students on a regular basis, and also enlightening," said Pam Days-Luketich. "Many of the teens, who would soon be living on their own, either while at college or working their first jobs, had little to no education on monthly budgeting for everything from trips to the grocery store to preparing for larger purchases. They were unaware of how credit scores can affect getting approved for car and home loans. They didn't realize that financial decisions made as teens and young adults can stay with you for the next 10 years, or even longer. Financial literacy is such an important life skill, and we are thrilled to have had the opportunity over the last 10 years to reach teens before they start making monetary decisions as young adults."
On March 24, students will once again congregate at Connecticut College to participate in Money Madness. This year, CT State Representative Aundré Bumgardner (R-41), will speak to the students about how he became interested in politics and his current focus for his district, as well as provide motivational tips to inspire students on achieving their own goals. Attendees will then have the opportunity to participate in several break-out sessions, which will include relevant topics for teens, including the costs of gambling, eating healthfully on a budget, identity theft, education financing, the importance of saving and tips on buying a vehicle.
Since 2006, Chelsea Groton Bank has touched thousands of students through Money Madness and other financial literacy programming at area schools and libraries. As a community bank, Chelsea Groton takes very seriously its responsibility to help educate the next generation of young adults so they will be better equipped to thrive in their own lives, and contribute to improving our communities in the future.
For more information on Chelsea Groton's Community Education Program or to schedule an on-site workshop or seminar, please visit https://chelseagroton.com/OurstrongCommunitystrong/EducationPrograms.aspx.
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