Roundup Offers Free Dave Ramsey Money Management Course for Local Teens

Have you ever heard the expression "I have more month than money", or "I'm so broke I can't pay attention"? These expressions are common to most of us living paycheck to paycheck. We always want better for our children. We would like our children to become adults free from a consumer lifestyle, and have financial FREEDOM. Do your children understand terms like "Consumer Awareness", "Bargain Shopping", "Investing and Retirement", "Depreciation", and "Predatory Lender"? These are terms we want them to understand before they become financially independent.

If you have ever listened to Dave Ramsey on talk radio, you would be familiar that many lives have been changed by following his money management program. Andy Koval is excited to share that he has managed to get Dave Ramsey's program called "Foundations in Personal Finance" as a free program to share with our local youth.

The Youth Court is allotted certain funds from the state. From the different areas that funding is used, some of it is allocated to PIF funds. These funds are used for a variety of different things such as; social programs, anger management program, social skills program, etc. Out of this allocation, Andy Koval purchased the Dave Ramsey program that is geared towards teens. Bringing it to fruition is a collaborative effort by the Youth Probation office, Common Ground, and the Mental Health Center.

Andy was inspired to implement this program for our community because of a posting on Facebook that stated "there is nothing to do in Roundup", also a local interest in what children NEED in our community. He found a way to answer both of those community questions by making this program available.

Working with teens on a daily basis for many years, Andy is an authority in understanding that one of the keys to their success in life is understanding how to manage money. "In order to not be broke you have to learn to budget, understand money, insurance, and retirement." Because the money for the program comes from the juvenile court arena, it is counted as a prevention program, and Andy explains that it truly is prevention because when people understand how to manage their money, they are less likely to end up as a parolee. Andy used the PIF funds to purchase the program and is getting it started right away. Though Andy is a

probation officer for juvenile court, and the money comes through that avenue, the program is not specified for teens on probation, but is open to anyone wanting to have this tool in their life and for their future. The program is a building block for success.

Andy will be teaching the program along with Jason and Amy Oakes, and Angie Mozqueda, all of whom are teaching the course for free, as volunteers on their own time. The course is a commitment of two nights a week for thirteen weeks. The classes will begin on Monday, March 7th. The Monday night classes will be at Common Ground, formerly known as John Iverson Youth Center on Main Street across from the Baptist Church. The Wednesday night class will be at the Ambulance Barn at 704 1st St. East.

Space is limited to thirty students, so sign up your student as soon as you can. Parents are also welcome to attend the class freely, but you must have a student taking the class. If you were to purchase this program on your own, it would cost between 150-180 dollars. If you have a teen that would benefit from this free opportunity, please contact Andy at 406-323-1714 to get your teen enrolled.