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5. Bath Students Learn Smart Money Management Skills from CPAs

Bath Students Learn Smart Money Management Skills from CPAs
Rea & Associates Volunteers at Area School as Part of Financial Education Program

Lima, Ohio – This past week accounting professionals from Rea & Associates joined with other area accounting professionals to lead nearly 180 sixth grade students at Bath Elementary School through a fun, competitive lesson using a new game called FETCH!, which stands for Financial Education Teaches Children Healthy Habits.

"FETCH! Is a fun way to teach children the important fundamentals of managing money," said Beth Runser, CPA, Rea & Associates. "It's built on a simple concept, yet requires students to make decisions that have real consequences, just like in real life."

FETCH! teaches students to manage money by placing them as pet owners in a dog park. The students use critical math and thinking skills to earn money for basics like a leash and collar, budget for unexpected expenses and save money for the future. If the team's dog is naughty, they might end up paying to fix a neighbor's fence. If the dog learns a new trick or wins first place in a dog show, the team can be rewarded with additional money in their savings account.

The game teaches children that sometimes you must delay buying what you want right now so that you can afford what you need later. The team that ends the game with the most money in their savings account and the most items for their pooch wins.

With families across America struggling with economic issues, the lesson couldn't be timelier. The U.S. Census Bureau notes that 77 percent of U.S. families are in debt with 46.1 percent holding credit card debt.

Runser was assisted in the classroom by accounting professionals Andrea Snyder, Joy Gentry, Tiffany Crawford, Kay Black, Dennis Gallant, Chris Ricker, Laurie Honigford and Sue Odenweller, all of Rea's Lima office.

FETCH! Was created by the Ohio Society of CPAs and its charitable affiliate, The Ohio CPA Foundation, with guidance from elementary teachers and a curriculum developer. It includes a testing component to gauge if students have mastered a basic understanding of financial terms. For more information, visit www.cpasintheclassroom.com.