Students at Hollister Elementary School are learning the value of a dollar through real-world business situations as part of Arvest’s Dollars and Sense program. The idea behind the Arvest Dollars and Sense program is simple: Bank representatives visit with students once a month as part of an effort to teach students lessons about the various aspects of money and savings. As part of this program, students in Hollister created and sold products such as bookmarks, bracelets and decorative pins , operating as if they were a small business. The students were then able to present their products to a loan officer from Arvest and ask for a loan to start their “business”.

The money made through this project will go toward the cost of a charter bus for a student trip to Jefferson City in April.  Elementary teacher Shawn Merriman said the week of sales should account for about a quarter of the $2,200 needed for the bus. Merriman said donations and funds raised from a recent recycling project will also help pay for the cost of the bus trip.

The project isn’t just about raising money, though. It teaches a very valuable lesson about economics and money management. Says Merriman of the teaching methods of Arvest Dollars and Sense, “It is a hands on way, rather than just out of the book.”

For more information about this project, take a look at an article from the Branson Tri-Lakes News by clicking here.

Then, click here to visit Arvest Money Skills for educational games, articles and budgeting tools for all ages.