Poverty

4-H'ers Face Financial Literacy

Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath brought to light the horrific living and dying conditions of those individuals trapped in generational poverty. Georgia maintains the fourth highest rate of personal bankruptcy in the nation behind Utah, Nevada and Tennessee. The two key factors that move an individual out of poverty are relationships and education. 4-H is working to break the cycle of poverty. Cook County 4-H provided a solid foundation of financial literacy for its youth by engaging them in positive adult relationships and delivering a financial literacy based curriculum throughout the school year during club meetings and through after-school activities. The financial literacy curriculum was extended into the “Summer Fun” program with classes that focused on different career choices for the 4-H'ers to explore. More than 350 Cook County 4-H'ers were enrolled in the Georgia Youth Savers program in 2007. They also completed financial literacy lesson plans on being a savvy shopper, the importance of saving money and career skills. About 175 4-H'ers participated in a series of 13 class sessions designed to explore career fields for the future. (2008)

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