Life after high school is expensive. Post-secondary education, moving out, buying a car or real estate, travelling, and entrepreneurial endeavours are all costly ventures.
This reality is why Grade 12 students at Delview Secondary School spent a day learning how to balance a budget, work out financial plans, examine credit cards and debts, and set goals for their financial futures.
The school recently reaped the benefits of a contest hosted by the Financial Planning Standards Council. The council asked financial planning professionals to submit ideas as to how they could hold community events to inspire and educate Canadians about personal finance. Twelve submissions were chosen as winners and given $500 grants to fulfill their ideas.
Financial consultants Tom Markham and David Petrie were elated to have their submission selected as a winner – to hold a day’s worth of seminars at Delview Secondary School to help Grade 12 students prepare for their futures. Having had a son graduate from the school last year, Markham said he knows firsthand the importance of teaching youth how to budget.
“Promoting financial literacy is really important,” he said.
Petrie added: “If we get people to think of it sooner, they don’t get into the troubles of excessive debt later in life."
The seminars were held on Oct. 19 and the $500 grant was donated to Delview Secondary’s bursary program.