Bank Day

Peter Pan students of St. Mary Head Start took their first trip to the bank Tuesday. The students had their first “Bank Day” of the year at Teche Federal Bank in Franklin. They already have good ideas on how they want to invest their money. Financial literacy is part of their curriculum with the goal of starting them on the right path early on. Students and their parents collected pennies at home then opened savings accounts and learned how to deposit their money in the bank. Delores Stewart, Pennies for PreSchoolers coordinator, says since the beginning of the program, all the students who have opened accounts still have active accounts that are gaining interest. Financial institutions have matched amounts for the Head Start students through the program. Head Start Administrator Almetra J. Franklin said, “It is important to teach financial responsibility to our young Head Start students as part of their educational framework.”