(Eads, CO) -- Flexing their summer brain muscles to learn about budgets, a group of teens got to take part in a free class in Eads. 

Southeast Regional Director for the Young Americans Center, Mackenzie King, taught the students, which started with an exercise or two.  The students were first asked how they manage money now.  The class taught About Earning, Investing, and Giving, as well as the difference between needs and wants.

Students were then assigned a task to use a personal budget to cover their expenses for electric bills, car payments, insurance, groceries, gas, books, school supplies, phones, internet, and rent.

Obstacles, such as a flat tire, were presented to discuss the rationale behind a rainy-day account.

King excitedly announced she landed with an excellent group for this session.

“These guys were great, I was really impressed how they kind of really went back to their budget, and looking at it, it’s funny you sometimes have students who will set their budget and then spend whatever they want to, so these guys were great at going back and checking the budget and writing down their transactions as they went, it was awesome!”

“I’m decent, but I still have a lot to learn,” fourteen-year-old Presley Vallejos said. She attended the class with her younger brother.  Nolan Vallejos admitted he was more of a big spender.  He approached his performance with confidence when asked, “How do you think you did?”

“Uh, I’d say pretty good,” Nolan responded.

But, what did the numbers show?  Nolan finished, “Uh, not good.” And he agreed that he needed to work on spending his money wisely. 

Tatum Smith is 16 and is already gainfully employed at the ice cream shop in Eads.

“I learned a lot, how to budget, how to spend, and how to focus on the income,” Smith said.  He added he is excited to apply what he learned today to real life.

The Southeast Colorado Power Association is an electric cooperative that operates according to a set of principles.  Educating our members and community is important to us.  Sharing information on programs like these is one way we try to do this. 

If you would like to know more about upcoming classes for our Southeast Colorado Youth, reach out to Mackenzie King at 303-321-5085.   There are classes for Youth Biz to help students become entrepreneurs, scheduled to take place in July in Rocky Ford.

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(photo: Mackenzie King teaches Tatum Smith, Nolan Vallejos, and Presley Vallejos how to budget)