Coastal Properties Group/ Christie's International in Pinellas County, Florida has a unique way of reaching out to the local community through involvement. Our
latest endeavor is going to be at Stavros Institute's Finance Park in Largo - a hands-on, realistic, simulated program for 8th graders that lays the groundwork for informed and intelligent financial decisions later in life. Complicated concepts like money managment and household budgeting are introduced, while stressing the importance of making sensible choices and using decisive judgement.
The prequel, to Finance Park is Enterprise Village - a self-contained economic education program that provides a similar hands-on learning experience for elementary school students. EV is considered by most students to be their most insightful and comprehensive educational experience in their entire school career. They spend 6 weeks in their classrooms studying basic economic education objectives, including how to write checks, use a debit card, keep a checkbook register, apply for jobs, and work efficiently in a group. All of these newly acquired skills are then put into action in a one day visit to Enterprise Village. Throughout the course of their business day, students work in one of the 20+ businesses, take 3 breaks, receive paychecks that they can then use to make purchases in one of the multiple business-sponsored storefronts.
With more than 104,000 students served in 150 schools and centers, the district is the 7th-largest in Florida and 26th-largest in the nation. These 2 programs educate more than 23,000 student each year! Finance Park tries to offer a comparable experience by including as many aspects of adult life as possible.
For example, incorporating decisions surrounding transportation, investments, home improvement, banking, housing, entertainment, healthcare, utilities, food, home furnishings, clothing and education. Some of the big name brands and establishments that can be found within the simulation include Bank of America, Publix, Home Shopping Network, McDonalds, BIC Graphic, Neilson Media Research, Bright House Networks, Verizon, and Pinellas County Utilities.
To fulfill the role of housing education, Coastal Properties Group is the official representative of the real estate industry. A unique opportunity indeed to become involved in the education of Pinellas County youth and help ease them into the complex world of real estate!! The concepts of mortgages and insurance are also integrated into the experience as well. Of course, the simulation conducted during the students' day trip is not nearly as elaborate as the real thing, but the soft introduction definitely makes an impact and sparks interest in the processes and the industry as a whole.
Enterprise Village has been replicated throughout the United States and several countries via the Junior Acheivement model. To learn more about Enterprise Village and Finance Park, visit stavrosinstitute.org and the Pinellas Education Foundation.
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