225 Calhoun Street, Suite 370
Cincinnati, OH 45219
Student Enterprise Program (StEP)
The Alpaugh Family Economics Center creates informed outcomes through the implementation of economic and financial literacy programs for students in K through 12 grades, and their teachers, and through the unbiased analyses of our economic research staff. This Dater Foundation grant supported the acclaimed Student Enterprise Program (StEP). In StEP, students (age 5-14) earn school currency for good behavior, academic achievement, and good attendance. StEP addresses two needs: 1) the need for student engagement and better education in schools with a high percent of low-income students, and 2) the need to lay a solid foundation of personal financial literacy at a young age. Students learn these skills when they act as earners, consumers, and producers by developing and participating in a mini-economy in their classroom. During a year with unprecedented upheaval for teachers and students, the Center quickly responded by modifying the program to meet the needs of the schools by developing a remote experience. Students still earned StEP Bucks as usual, but submitted their spend/save/donate decisions online. Their orders were filled by teams of volunteers and then delivered to their schools for distribution. The teachers and students expressed their gratitude for the StEP program and for maintaining a sense of “normal” when students needed it most.
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