Topeka High business students participated in a financial literary program called Future Finance Now on October 17. The program is put on by Communities in Schools. Julie Phillips works for Communities in Schools and is the site coordinator for Topeka High.

“It’s a financial literacy simulation, so the students are 26 years old when they go through the simulation, and they learn what it costs to pay all your bills in a month,” said Phillips. “At the very basic level it’s exposing them to things that they might not be aware of and how much they cost such as car payments, insurance, health insurance, rent and things like that students may not be aware of.”

Volunteers are brought in from businesses to run booths of their respected profession, such as Kim Hernandez who works at Kaw Valley Bank and volunteered at the banking station. Hernandez believes that financial planning for later in life is important, but sometimes overlooked in schools.

“I think it’s very important part of life that not necessarily all schools teach,” said Hernandez. “You need to learn how to budget your net income after you graduate and get a job. Whether it’s student loan debt, housing expenses, transportation expenses, child care, any of those things are real life things that kids need to know that hey these things are going to cost money and I need to know how to budget.”

Colin Bartlow, sophomore, is a student in consumer and personal finance. Barlow says that it helped him become it made him more informed about his finances later in life and how to manage them.

“I learned how to control my budget an how to save money when I’m older,” said Bartlow. “I think that I won’t spend my money and go bankrupt later in my life.”

Casey Champney, sophomore, is also in consumer and personal Finance, and learned the expensive nature of children.

“Kids are very expensive and so are house payments,” said Champney. “It’ll be easier to tell with my spouse how many children we should have, how much they cost, and what type of job I should be interested in.”