21 youth learn life financial lessons at Maui Economic Opportunity class series

Twenty-one high and middle school age youth learned the value of good credit, budgeting and the difference between credit and debit cards at Maui Economic Opportunity’s Teen Financial Literacy class series held Monday and Tuesday.

The class, offered at no cost to attendees, was run by MEO’s Business Development Center with Lianne Peros-Busch and Jaimie Dukelow as instructors. 

The two-session program covered budgeting and savings, basic banking, applying for jobs, credit and its importance and more. The overarching goal of the class series was to provide youths with the skills, tools and knowledge to make sound financial decisions and a foundation to help them achieve their life goals.

When asked at the end of the program what they learned, students’ answers included keeping a good credit rating, dressing for success, looking the job interviewer in the eye and how to budget and not waste money. “And, the difference between debit and credit cards is that debit is your money and credit is someone else’s money.”

The Maui County Office of Economic Development provided funding for the workshop.