Yesterday I had the opportunity to teach a money lesson to 3rd graders at James Ward Elementary School in Chicago.  We had a great time talking about their short and long term goals, how they can earn money, what types of jobs there are and where they can donate their time, money and talents.  I had a great time with Ms. Goetz’s class and want to thank their teacher-librarian, Mrs. Beatrice Haney, and principal Sharon Wilcher for allowing me to share this time with their students – and a couple parents too! 

The great news is that journalist Leah Hope from ABC7 News in Chicago was there to film the lesson in action and interview a few of the students about what they learned about money.  It is such a joy – and fun - to see kids share their money experiences with others.  It renews my motivation to continue passionately driving our mission to teach children that they have choices for their money and through managing those choices they feel empowered by their finances rather than controlled by them.  The interviews are scheduled to air Monday, May 30th, between 4:00 and 6:30.  So tune in to Channel 7 over the holiday to see the fun and no doubt entertaining piece from Leah Hope and her team!

Here are a few fun photos from the classroom yesterday.

We’ve been getting some great feedback on our new Savings Spree App that I just had to share.  I hope you and your family decide to try it out too!  If you do, tell me which level you like the best. 

Here are the new reviews:

REVIEWER: Common Sense Media – 4 of 5 stars – Educational value – A+  : “SAVINGS SPREE is a playful game that demonstrates basic sound financial concepts to kids. The important lessons of being responsible with money will seep through as they play the six game-show rounds. Once kids have played a few times, they may have absorbed all of the included information, but the more they continue to play, the longer they will remember the lessons. “  Click here to read the full review on Common Sense Media

REVIEWER: The iPhone App Review - 5 of 5 stars – “The art of saving is really an art and education in this practice needs to start from a young age. Savings Spree helps with this by encouraging and teaching children the importance of saving with fun-filled games, cool cartoons and excellent graphics. Savings Spree is definitely one of the best educational apps I have seen on the iOS yet!”  Click here to read the full review on The iPhone App Review

All credit cards are not alike and first time credit users need basic information before they sign up.  Take a look at this for more information about the pros and cons of what is available for the first-time credit card user in your household. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sc-cons-0414-started-20110415,0,237885.story

In my last post, I explained how to “sell” the services that you can offer this summer to earn some cash.  Now, I want to focus on some examples of the kinds of services you might offer. 

What is your special talent?  Like kids? Start a summer camp.  Loved your film class?  Offer to help a small business shoot a film about their business or a product they are trying to showcase on YouTube.  Good on the computer?  Help someone set up a  Facebook page or Twitter account.  Getting the picture?  Okay – here are a few “other” thoughts to get you thinking:

Pooper-scooper the back yard weekly or daily for families that let dogs do their business at home.  Offer to walk the dogs during the day when the owner is away at work.  Summer is a great time for this and owners will love that their beloved pet is getting playtime outside.

Semi-house-sit by offering to get the mail and keep things tidy while your neighbors are away on summer vacations. 

Offer to plant planters for a homeowner who just cannot find the time to do it themselves.  Offer to do this for your own family first for just the cost of materials so you can take a few pictures to show potential clients the kind of work you are capable of doing. Check out local nurseries for ideas.  Take a few pictures of what the professionals have done and copy the work.  Who knows, working for the nursery could be your next summer job – especially if you can show them the work you have done this summer.

Be a parent helper.  Run errands or help with the kids so mom and dad can have some time to tackle projects.

Clean out basements or garages and help organize a garage sale for a homeowner.  Agree to a 60/40 split of the profits with the owner.

Let me know if you hear of any other creative and entrepreneurial ideas that I have not thought of.  Share them here so we can get our kids working so they can help us and themselves at the same time.

I won’t bore you with the statistics.  They say what we already know.  Getting a job is hard.  More people want work than it seems there are jobs available.  To get a job this summer, kids need to play to their strong hand – and sell themselves and the services they can offer first.

Here’s how to get going:

Create a flyer showcasing what you have to offer.  Be clear about what you do, when you are available and what you charge for your services.  Break through the noise of all other flyers by highlighting that you are a local resource home from school and ready to work.  Letting people know that you are a hometown kid will get potential employers on your side and more willing to think about how they could use you.

Ring bells and make personal appearances at homes and places of business to explain what you can do for them.  In person visits sometimes uncover other work that you may not have on your flyer that you would be willing to do.  Never underestimate the personal touch of showing up, shaking a hand and looking a potential employer in the eye.

Be persistent – just short of stalking.  Drop by weekly and remind potential employers you are still ready, willing and able.  Many employers may not have needed you at the last visit when you introduced yourself but need you now at your second visit.  It’s all about making yourself available when they need you.

Network with other teens that have a job.  Find out if they know of any openings where they work and ask if they can introduce you to their employer.  Offer to job share with an employed teen when they cannot work due to vacation or sports practice responsibilities. 

Next up – Services that kids can offer.