As part of the High School Heroes program, Connetquot High School’s “Heroes” visited the fifth-grade students at Idle Hour Elementary School on Nov. 13 in an effort to share tips on how to make sensible financial choices.

Joined by personal finance instructors Gina Senft and Andrea Pizzimenti, Connetquot High School students Adam Moussa, Maggie Overbaugh, Emily Karl and Nicholas Keddy gave a presentation that was not only fun, but also helped them hone the skills necessary to prepare for the workforce upon graduation.  

“This is our second annual trip to the elementary schools,” said Mrs. Senft.  “We plan to continue to bring our ‘Heroes’ to each of the elementary schools within the district during the school year.” 

The fifth-grade students were provided with worksheets, stickers and a sum of virtual currency to utilize. With these materials on hand, the Idle Hour students were asked to determine how much of their “money” they should spend immediately, save for another day or share with others.

The High School Heroes program is a service-learning project sponsored by Junior Achievement USA that provides high school students with the opportunity to become role models for elementary students. The These “Heroes” teach and empower elementary students by using interactive, hands-on, lessons centered around work readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship. Connetquot’s High School “Heroes” are selected based on their leadership and training through the National Business Honor Society. Currently, there are 30 trained and qualified Connetquot “High School Heroes” who will visit district schools this year.