High schoolers from three South Carolina school districts participated in new budgeting simulation
The Moore School’s Office of Access, Opportunity, and Community Engagement recently collaborated with Truist Bank to host an interactive financial literacy simulation for Power Forward Scholars on USC’s campus.
Power Forward, a high school pipeline program for Richland One, Richland Two and Florence 3 school district high school students, was the inaugural group to participate in the bank’s newly developed financial literacy simulation.
During the event, PF Scholars were assigned monthly ledger profiles and asked to visit various stations around the room to manage their financial responsibilities based on their profile characteristics. The profession profiles ranged from doctors to janitors, while their family profiles ranged from stay-at-home parents to newlyweds to immerse the students into the mindset of authentic "adulting."
“In my ledger, I’m a therapist, single, with no kids. I have a lot of degrees, too,” said Makailyn Bowers, Lake City Early College High School student. “My finances are great. This simulation taught me that making good decisions starts immediately, specifically in high school.”
Throughout the event, many students expressed concerns about not having enough money to make ends meet. While some were grappling with maintaining a lifestyle that included excessive shopping, frequent dining out, and travel, others were focused on simply meeting their basic needs.
“In my profile, my wife doesn’t work, and we have an infant. I’m not even making $40K a year — I have to work multiple part-time jobs to survive,” said Parker Forte, a Blythewood High School student. “Picking a career where you can support your lifestyle and not have children before you’re financially stable is important.”
The goal of the simulation was to help students clarify their financial decisions and improve or develop their financial literacy. While the students took the lead in the interactive simulation, Truist bankers were available to assist when needed.
“I hope students take away from this a strong sense of the importance of budgeting and being good stewards of their finances and truly thinking through how they spend their money — learning the difference between wants versus needs,” said James Chatfield, a Truist community development manager.
More than 100 students cycled from station to station, eagerly trying to budget for the life they were assigned. Many made repeated stops at the "Making Ends Meet" station, which provided resources for those needing extra funds, including side jobs, government assistance and budgeting strategies. While students showed enthusiasm and a willingness to take on multiple jobs to support their ideal lifestyle, they learned the importance of making intentional and realistic spending choices.
The Truist team, along with the Office of Access, Opportunity, and Community Engagement, guided students in setting deliberate financial goals. While the simulation was designed to be engaging, the underlying message was clear: purposeful spending and effective budget management are essential lifelong skills.
"At the Moore School, we approach everything with intention. We provide unique opportunities for students that they might not find elsewhere and encourage them to fully embrace these chances," said Deborah Hazzard, associate dean of access, opportunity, and community engagement and clinical associate professor of management.
-Christian Osborne