Put Your Change away in a Piggy Bank

[JennLynn]

(KODAK -TN)
Put your change away in a piggy bank.

That was the lesson learned by nearly 200 kids this week at Sevier County Library branches across the county. As part of the summer reading program, Sevier County Promise brought a basic lesson on finances to Seymour on Monday, Sevierville on Wednesday and finished off at the Kodak branch Friday.

Sevier County Promise is part of the America's Promise program, started by Colin Powell. The program has a five-point motto and strives to give youth caring adults, a safe place, a healthy start, opportunities to serve and marketable skills.

Last year's library lesson taught kids about nutrition, with help from the UT Sevier County Extension. This year, that look turned to finances, with help from community businesses.

"The theme is Bank on Your Future-Be a Smart Saver," Robin Kurtz, of Tennessee State Bank, said. "We talk to them about Penny and her friends. With a penny, you can't really do a whole lot, but when her friends join her, you can do something with that money.

"We teach them that when you keep Penny and her friends, you are saving for the future."

The lesson about Penny and friends included a coloring sheet and the opportunity to draw nickels, dimes and quarters alongside Penny in a saving jar.

At the close of the event, each child was given a penny to start saving, as well as a goody bag filled with change purses, water bottles, coupons and coloring books. Several piggy banks were also given away as door prizes to some of the more than 50 children who attended.

Ultimately, it was another lesson learned for a growing group of kids.

"The goal of this program is to get kids to become adults safe and healthy," Sevier County Promise director Kim Loveday said. "Learning how to take care of their money is another part of that."