Van Cleve Sixth Grade Students Participate in Edison’s “Kids to College”

Van Cleve sixth grade student, Alexis Carrol, turns to Kailee Peters, Administrative Assistant to Human Resources, for mock financial advice during the eighth annual Kids to College event.

More than 350 sixth grade students and teachers from Van Cleve Elementary School in Troy spent the day Friday attending classes and learning real world financial responsibility at Edison Community College during “Kids To College.” The annual program is a collaborative effort with Troy City Schools, The Ohio State University Extension Office and is funded by a grant from the Troy Foundation.

This is the eighth year for the program at Edison, which provides students with a curriculum that focuses on financial literacy, careers and the value of an education beyond high school. Initial sessions are held at Van Cleve in the weeks leading up to the event to help prepare students for a simulation that requires them to make consumer decisions, pay bills and balance a checkbook.

“The Kids to College Real Money, Real World simulation is an extremely eye opening experience,” said JoLynn Scalice, Van Cleve School Counselor. “It forces our students to step into the shoes of adults, perhaps their parents, and decide how they are going to spend their income, and what they must do if they cannot pay their bills, like get a second or third job.”

While at Edison, students spent time in the classroom learning about a variety of topics ranging from anatomy and physics to business and early childhood education. In addition to attending various sessions and simulations, students had the opportunity to spend time and interact with Edison faculty and staff in the cafeteria during lunch.

“Here at Van Cleve we are so thankful for the working partnership we have with Edison Community College,” added Scalice. “From the work they do with students here in the classrooms of Van Cleve, to the fabulous support of their staff and students who volunteer time to help during our visit. I hope our students take advantage of the opportunities that Edison has to offer as they get older and begin taking college courses.”

“The day was a huge success with our community’s business and parent volunteers, sixth grade teachers and even students complimenting not only the program, but the facilities and friendliness of the staff,” said Stacey Bean, enrollment manager and event coordinator. “The sixth graders thoroughly enjoyed the day and were described by many as being respectful, polite, and appreciative.”