Community Partnerships Provide Sustainability for Economics Center’s Student Enterprise Program

A StEP in the Right Direction

Wesbanco, Klostermann Bakery, Luxottica , Seton High School, Purcell Marian High School and Reading Schools PTA. Commonalities? None to the casual observer. But each of these local businesses, schools and organizations do have something in common. They are helping students attending seven elementary schools (Mt. Airy Elementary, Bond Hill Academy, Reading Hilltop, Kilgour Elementary, Pleasant Ridge Montessori, Resurrection School and St. Francis DeSales) in the Cincinnati Public Schools and Catholic Inner-City Schools learn about choices and consequences and the basics of financial literacy and economics.

These community partners are aiding the Economics Center’s Student Enterprise Program (StEP) by each adopting an elementary school and coordinating several aspects of the program; notably, managing the school stores and activities surrounding them four times during the school year.

In StEP, students earn school cash for positive behavior, attendance, and academic improvement. They use this money to purchase items at the “store”. Merchandise ranges from school supplies to larger ticket items such as basketballs and mp3 players; which requires students to develop goal setting and saving habits.

“These organizations are vital to the sustainability of StEP,” states Val Krugh, Director of StEP. “ When bank employees, high school students and corporate employees join forces with our program, good things happen.”

The ability to have a business adopt a StEP school allows the Economics Center staff to dedicate their time to expand the reach of this program to additional schools. It also provides an opportunity for professionals in the business community and local high school students to work with elementary students, assisting them in decision-making surrounding purchases and goal setting, all by being a mentor and a role model.

StEP is actively working in 40 elementary schools. If you are interested in being a partner and adopting an elementary school, please contact Dr. Krugh at (513) 556-2949 or email valerie.krugh@uc.edu.