Virginia Commonwealth University Center for Economic Education
May 20, 2021
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Grade Level: Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, Kindergarten
Recap:
VCEE undertook this Family Financial Fun Night (FFFN) at the special request of the school,
Douglass Park Elementary in Portsmouth, Virginia, via their Parent and Family Engagement
Liaison, Lenora Gallop. Ms. Gallop had worked with VCEE and Wells Fargo on a FFFN in the fall of 2019, and it had been a great success, and the families wanted another one. This year would be different because of the Covid-19 pandemic and so, like many other activities, this one was to be conducted virtually.
Overall, there were 15 parents and 33 students participating. The students were engaged, often
answering questions and telling anecdotes about their money decisions. There were also a lot of
smiles, as one can see in the attached pictures! Following the event, Ms. Gallop shared that a
family had been in the Zoom waiting room. We agreed that they would receive an At-home Kit and the opportunity to complete the evaluation.
The formal evaluations that students turned in were overwhelmingly positive, with 26 of the 33
returned evaluations recording a “yes” answer to either “I know how to identify money” or “I
know how to count money.” Lastly, the Wells Fargo volunteers were a great example, sharing with the families their financial journeys, while guiding students through the activities.
Ms. Gallop reported, “I had two students come to my office [the next] morning to say how much
they enjoyed the evening. They like shading the coins and are now trying to convince their parents to have a party. I thought it was funny that one student returned the coins. I’ve informed the parents that the students can keep the coins.” She expanded on these comments in a letter she sent to VCEE, attached. Ms. Gallop also reported that Douglass Park Elementary would welcome more FFFN events in the 2021-22 school year, which is probably the best measure of success.
Final count
• Students: 33
• Parents/ caregivers: 15
• Wells Fargo volunteers: 4
• Staff: 3
• In the Zoom waiting room was a family of four who, unfortunately, were not admitted, but
received a FFFN At-home Kit and completed the evaluation.
Fee: NO CHARGE
Instructor: Stephen Day
Contact Person:
Stephen Day
Center for Economic Education
Virginia Commonwealth University
(804) 828-1628
shday@vcu.edu
OFFERED BY:
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