Wake Forest University Finance Club members are easing the difficult transition for youth leaving foster care to begin independent living.
The Finance Club hosted four financial literacy sessions with the North Carolina Foster Care Independence LINKS program this year. LINKS helps teens successfully move from foster care to self-sufficiency. Budgeting, credit and interest rates, and taxes were among the financial literacy topics covered by the Finance Club.
“We were able to transfer some of our skills so these youth would learn how to manage a checking account, how to set up a savings account, simple versus compound interest, and how to avoid credit card debt,” said David Council, Finance Club past-president. “We really enjoyed building relationships and answering questions.”
LINKS program youth took a field trip to Wake Forest University on April 21. The trip included a campus tour, dinner in the Pit, and an information session on college and financial aid.
“It has been a great benefit to some of the most disenfranchised and at-risk youth in our community.” said Carmelita Burrell, LINKS Program Coordinator. “Even though we ended with a campus tour, it is just a beginning. It has inspired our young people and opened doors of opportunity.”