A group of fifth-grade girls at Normandale Elementary School are making their allowances count. Janel Goff, managing director of Goff Investment Group, offers financial education to girls and young women. “It started out with people coming to me for advice, then I started going to schools,” says Goff. When her daughter entered fifth grade at Normandale, Goff offered to teach a biweekly Girls and Money Fun program to the class.
The girls’ first assignment was to establish a money plan with their parents, negotiating a budget and expectations to earn cash.
“It’s been important that my kids set off on the right foot about money. Part of the money plan is [the girls] learning the value of their dollar—not a dollar, their dollar,” says Goff.
The group’s second assignment was to execute a fundraiser. They hosted a donation-based party for all the girls in their grade. They exceeded their goal, with an astounding $700 raised for Smile Network International. Student participant Katie Burnham raves that the fundraiser was one of the biggest highlights of her year.
