20 youth learn about money, budgeting and life at financial literacy workshop

Twenty intermediate and high school youth received an introduction to the basics of personal finance and budgeting – and an awakening to adulthood and life – in Maui Economic Opportunity’s two-day Teen Financial Literacy workshop this week.

The workshop, put on by MEO’s Business Development Center on Monday, Oct. 3, and Wednesday, Oct. 5, taught youth the importance of saving and putting money into a 401(k), getting a good job, maintaining good credit and judiciously securing loans.

One attendee said the budgeting session left the youth “scared” but more informed about “what my parents go through and how they helped.”

The instructors were Lianne Peros-Busch with BDC and Jaimie Dukelow with Hawaiʻi State Federal Credit Union. The Maui County Office of Economic Development provided funding for the workshop, which was offered at no cost.

“The primary goal of the workshop is to provide youths with the skills, tools and knowledge to make sound financial decisions and a foundation to help them achieve their life goals,” said BDC’s Peros-Busch. “We hope that these youths learned the value of taking control of their finances and saving for the important things in their lives rather than being forced to react to unwise and impulsive decisions that may leave them stressed to pay the bills.”

BDC conducts the Teen Financial Literacy course during the summer and some school breaks. The Adult Financial Literacy course is offered monthly on the third Wednesday and Thursday. The next two-day course, offered via Zoom, will be held Oct. 19 and 20, 10 a.m. to noon on both days.

For more information, contact BDC’s Heather Wells at 808-243-4317 or download the application at https://form.jotform.com/211885618663163.

The adult course also is offered at no charge.