FCCLA and the Financial Fitness Program
Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America.
April 6, 2023
Have you heard of the club FCCLA? FCCLA stands for Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America. Ms. Maureen Hampton sponsors this club which focuses on teaching leadership skills. They participate in service opportunities, student leadership, leadership conferences, and competitive events. This year they visited Salem Middle School to teach students about saving and spending money. They performed the ‘Budgeting After High School’ Simulation/Event at Salem Middle School on February 23rd, 2023.
Q & A with Family and Consumer Science Teacher Maureen Hampton:
Q: What was the biggest take away from the ‘Budgeting After High School’ Simulation/Event?
A: “Well the biggest take away was to make sure that everybody was ready for our event, so that it could roll out. That way we could get the videos and the footage with pictures that we needed so we could go ahead and use them in the application. This allowed us to have everything they needed so we can be in the running for actual placement of awards.”
Q: How did the middle schoolers react to it?
A: “They were very excited because we are mentoring them as FCCLA High School students. They feel very important when we come over. They were asking a lot of questions about everything and they were glued to what we were doing. They loved all the booths we did. You could just see in their faces that they were really excited to learn about it and have high school students teaching them. There was a really great energy in the room.”
Q: Why did you choose the middle school?
A: “We chose the middle school because my officers had mentioned they wanted to do some mentoring. My actual president, Will Thompson had a passion project where he went over and spoke to the middle school and the advisor about what FCCLA meant to him and how he would recommend it to the middle schoolers to continue in high school. That way you know what you’ll be doing and as far as what you’ll learn and how it helps you with your life. Really, he thought that if we could do something with that middle school group it would be really enriching for everybody because the high school kids that are in the group really enjoy working with younger students. It was just a win-win all around.”
Q & A Senior William Thompson (FCCLA President)
Q: What was your favorite thing about this event?
A: “My favorite part of doing our FCCLA financial fitness project was being able to set up a fun game that the kids actually enjoyed while also being able to learn.”
Q: How did the middle schooler’s react?
A: “Well at first glance they were not really sure about it, but when we started playing and they could choose where to go, they started to really enjoy it. Overall, I think they would have to say they had a good time.”
Q: Would you recommend FCCLA to other students? Why or why not?
A: “I would recommend this club to everyone, but unfortunately this club is a type of club that not many people join. We do amazing community service while also taking time to do fun FCCLA projects like a pumpkin carving contest or the project for a club competition. It is an awesome opportunity for growth as a person and a great club.”
Q & A Senior Alexandra Allwood (FCCLA Secretary and Treasurer)
Q: What was your favorite thing about this event?
A: “After working on the financial fitness event for like a month, I really liked having the kids see it and being able to show them what FCCLA is like at Salem compared to at the middle school so that was nice and just seeing them enjoy it.”
Q:How did the middle schooler’s react?
A: “I think they all really enjoyed it, we surprised them with a prize at the end. They were asking us a lot of questions like what’s high school going to be like and the FCCLA here and I think it was good for them to see that.”
Q: Would you recommend FCCLA to other students? Why or why not?
A: “I definitely would. I feel like this club is very student run and I know everyone wants volunteer hours and stuff and I just think it’s a fun way to get your hours. The club is really up in your hands and you decide what you do because we haven’t done a financial national event in a long time, but this year we decided to so it’s up to the club members what you do.”
FCCLA is a great club to be in especially if you need volunteer hours. The club focuses on doing good things for the community. Last year the group made dog treats for the SPCA. This year’s group made the cut for the first look to go into the competition (National program awards).
