MANSFIELD — Amy O’Connell is bringing real-world experience into her classroom through an innovative financial literacy initiative designed to meet students where they are.
A teacher in the cross-categorical special needs classroom at Madison High School, O’Connell provides a curriculum comparable to second- or third-grade levels. She has found hands-on, engaging lessons to be the most effective approach for her students.
“About a year ago, I knew I was going to have to teach financial literacy,” O’Connell said. “How do you teach that in an engaging way?”
Her answer was to mimic real life as closely as possible — turning financial literacy into an immersive experience rather than a traditional lesson.
Financial literacy classes mimic real life
To make the program a reality, O’Connell reached out to numerous organizations for grant funding and support. After securing funding, she said she began designing a system of school-based jobs for students.
This led to a job fair with tables, props and posters, along with a helper who explained each position and its responsibilities.
Available jobs include accountant, janitorial staff, cashier for the school store, arts and crafts production for store merchandise, mail delivery, making copies for teachers, and setting up, pricing and managing inventory for the school store.
“I have gone over what work ethic is, and you don’t get paid if you don’t work,” O’Connell said. “And they’re working for it.”
Every two weeks, students receive a paycheck they must sign and cash with a student banker, who distributes play money. Each student has both a savings account and a checking account, and the program automatically deposits 10% of every paycheck into savings.
Deductions are also taken to teach students about taxes. O’Connell said each student receives about $22 every two weeks to use at the school store.
The school store allows students to purchase both needs and wants. Items include sweatshirts, sweatpants, toothpaste, body wash, craft supplies, games and more.
“The items are priced really cheap at the school store, preventing them from spending their entire paycheck only on needs,” O’Connell said. “That way, they are still able to purchase the fun items.”
Students complete an entire unit focused on needs versus wants. O’Connell said this helps them learn the importance of prioritizing savings and understanding some purchases may require waiting.
The initiative includes students enrolled in RISE, Career Readiness and O’Connell’s financial literacy classes.
A collaborative effort
The RISE Program, run by Karen VonStein, is new this year and is exclusively for juniors and seniors. VonStein’s goal with the program is to teach real-world skills, including cooking, building and cleaning.
O’Connell included RISE program students in the paycheck system and school store.
“The RISE program has actually spent money toward buying some of the need items for the school store,” O’Connell said.
Shelbi Ohl, another cross-categorical teacher at Madison, will be teaching career readiness during the second semester. O’Connell said she will brainstorm with Ohl on how to include career readiness students in the school store and paycheck system as well.
Getting everything organized has been the most challenging part of the process, O’Connell said, whether it involves coordinating schedules, arranging timelines for allowing students to clean rooms during specific periods or keeping students engaged throughout the day.
“I pride myself on engaging the children,” she said. “They absolutely can learn, they just learn at their level the way they can best, most of it being hands-on learning.”
(Story continues below photos. More photos from the job fair and school store. Provided by Amy O’Connell)
She thanked the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, Richland County Regional Solid Waste Management Authority, Richland County Foundation, VFW Post 9943 and Donors Choose, among others, for their contributions.
“These people gave me tons of money for this program to happen,” she said. “It’s incredible what I have been able to purchase for the kids to then go and be able to buy with their money.”
Richland County Newhope, the Richland County Board of Developmental Disabilities, also supported the initiative. Along with bringing in the junior achievement curriculum for the next five weeks, which O’Connell said coincides with everything they are learning.
“Richland County Newhope has come in for everything. They took part in the job fair and brought help to support it,” O’Connell said.
She also expressed appreciation for the teachers and staff who assist students in practicing and completing their job responsibilities.
“The entire school has bought into this,” O’Connell said. “Cleaning rooms, delivering mail and making copies — the willingness to help is making a lasting difference.”
(Photos of the items for the school store and crafts made by students. Credit: Hannah Martin)
