SLUDTERA, a leading private social enterprise and entrepreneurship support organization announces the culmination of two of its summer programmes: The SLUDTERA Kids Financial Literacy Summer Camp and the World Bank Education Inc. ConnectEd Youth Summer Internship.
With the rise of complex financial systems and an increasingly cashless society, teaching children about money management from an early age has become more crucial than ever. According to recent studies, only a small percentage of adults in St. Lucia feel confident about their financial literacy, highlighting the importance of educating children about personal finance.
The SLUDTERA Kids Financial Literacy Summer Camp was a two-week programme targeted at children ages 8-12 years old in the north and south of the island. However, due to very limited financial support, only one camp could take place. The sole and premier sponsor of the Castries camp was Caribbean WaterTek Inc.
Through a series of engaging and interactive workshops, activities, and games, camp participants developed a solid understanding of finance, budgeting, saving and investing. Children also learned about concepts like earning money, setting financial goals, making responsible spending decisions, differentiating needs from wants, practical financial skills such as saving their allowance, budgeting, and the basics of investing in stocks.
The students of the Youth Internship Summer Programme played an integral role in the summer camp as they came up with the design for the official camp logo, t-shirt, and official web page.
“We believe that financial literacy is a vital life skill that should be instilled in children from a young age,” said Mrs. (Michelle) Samuel, founder of SLUDTERA and Camp Leader of the Kids Financial Literacy Summer Camp.
“Our goal is to provide children with a solid foundation in personal finance that will serve them well throughout their lives. By teaching financial literacy in a fun and interactive way, we hope to inspire children to make smart financial decisions and become financially responsible adults,” she added.
Participants will graduate from the summer camp on Friday August 18th. The event will take place at the Ave Maria Girls’ Primary School on Broglie Street in Castries. All students will receive certificates of participation, tokens and camp participants will receive prizes and their account passbooks, each with an opening balance.
By Samuel Gumbs