Lakewood Ranch students get first hand budget lessons from Chamber of Commerce

Ava Collins – Mustangs Ahead

(LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL) - The Big Bank Theory is a program of the Manatee Chamber of Commerce aimed at helping the financial literacy skills of high school students in Manatee County. It’s welcoming Lakewood Ranch High School seniors Jan. 29 - 30 in the Lakewood Ranch High School (LRHS) gym.

Manatee Chamber describes this program as being one in which “students are engaged in a hands-on, real-life financial simulation that introduces them to the realities of being a financially responsible adult.”

Students are given a fake profile that outlines their financial and social situations. They are assigned things like occupation, yearly income, education level, and family status.

A list of station workers is also given to students to visit like Back-to-school, credit card company, insurance, utilities, etc.

Stay updated on more LRHS news by following us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or follow the Mustangs Ahead Podcast on Spotify

At each station there are volunteers to explain what theoretical options each student has considering their profile. Students are then able to play the “Game of Life” by spending money, getting another job or even going back to school.

LRHS College and Career Adviser Vito Bavaro said, “The best part of this is that it is a real-world experience for the kids. They get to become something like a lawyer or a doctor and then they must budget themselves. This is the first time they are looking at something like this which is really eye opening for them.”

LRHS senior Addison Schoenfeld said, “The job I got was a marketing manager and I kind of want to do something like that in the future, so I found it really helpful.”