Babylon HS Unveils Financial Literacy Program Details

Babylon Junior-Senior High School unveiled its plans for a $5,000 grant from Capital One Bank at a launch event hosted by the financial giant at Hofstra University on September 20th.

The Babylon High School Business and Family Consumer Science Departments will head up the use of the funds throughout the school in different ways, including hands-on instruction in financial education for students through a variety of classes, field trips to major financial centers such as Wall Street and further training of teachers in business and financial fields.

"We want to expand a lot of what we already have," said Claire Reilly, a business teacher at the high school and Practical Arts Department Chairperson. "We'll look into adding another finance class to our high school and an 8th grade class as well."

Let Patch save you time. Get great local stories like this delivered right to your inbox or smartphone everyday with our free newsletter. Simple, fast sign-up here.

The grant program, part of a contest by Capital One Bank, selected 25 different organizations from throughout Long Island to help improve or start financial literacy programs in their area. Organizations included the Baldwin Public Library, Girl Scouts of Suffolk County, Half Hallow Hills Community Library and many others.

Babylon High School, however, was the only public school selected on Long Island.

"We were really honored by that fact," said Reilly. "It's so important now in these times." Reilly noted a survey of the students in the current class found many were looking for ways to help their families rather than make money for themselves.

"Money is squarely on their minds and it's touched their lives," she said. "They want to learn so they can help their own families."

The Capital One Financial Literacy Program will continue throughout the year until May 2013 when two more winners will be picked from the pool of 25 and be awarded an additional $15,000. These winners will have demonstrated "the greatest impact on the populations they served," according to a release.

"We're a small department – only four teachers including myself," said Reilly. "Funds are tight right now, too, so we would be thrilled to win."