By JEN BOUTIN 

BCPL 

The Boyle County Public Library will host a traveling exhibition designed to teach kids and their families about money, thanks to a competitive national grant from the American Library Association (ALA) and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation.

Thinking Money for Kids is a new multimedia experience for children ages 7 to 11, as well as their parents, caregivers and educators. The interactive exhibit uses games, activities and a fun storyline to help children understand what money is, its function in society, money choices, and money values, such as fairness, responsibility, and charitableness.

The exhibit will be on display at the library, along with a series of related special events, from Feb. 11 to March 20. The public is invited to the grand opening of the exhibit at the library noon Tuesday, Feb. 11, featuring a ribbon cutting with the Danville-Boyle County Chamber of Commerce.

“After the success of our last interactive exhibit we immediately started looking for another one to host,” says Youth Services Librarian Kinsey Hisle. “Thinking Money for Kids was the perfect opportunity to bring in a national exhibit on a topic that we get asked about often. We love its interactive features and how it helps introduce financial literacy concepts that can then be expanded upon either at home or in the classroom.” 

In addition to the exhibit, the library will offer a variety of financial literacy related programs, many of them made possible by partnering with experts from local organizations. Adults will get tips on how to date on a budget, plan for retirement, and understand credit. Teens will have an opportunity to hear from a KHEAA representative who will talk about important money matters relating to higher education. Youth will see if they can taste the difference between national and store brand food items during a blind taste test. All ages are invited to play financial literacy-themed board games and learn how to shop smart for groceries.

“Money is such an important topic and it’s a part of so many decisions that people have to make every day,” says BCPL Director Georgia de Araujo. “If children become familiar with financial concepts like saving money for a bigger purchase or balancing a simple budget, applying those concepts to their day-to-day life when they are older becomes easier. Thinking Money for Kids can be helpful for people of all ages. We hope that kids who come as part of a school visit will come back with their families.”

Danville is one of 50 sites selected to host Thinking Money for Kids on its two-year tour of the United States. Nearly 130 public libraries across the country applied for the opportunity, according to ALA. 

In addition to the traveling exhibition on loan, the library will also receive $1,000 to hold public events related to the exhibit. 

The library also received funding to send a staff member to a Thinking Money for Kids workshop held during the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., where they learned about the exhibit and financial literacy topics.

“We look forward to seeing how the community responds to another exhibit,” says Hisle. “We hope we can keep offering free high quality exhibits and opportunities to promote learning for the young people in our community.” 

 

For more information about Thinking Money for Kids, visit www.BoylePubLib.org.

 

About the American Library Association

 

The American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, the ALA has been the trusted voice for academic, public, school, government and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit ala.org.

 

About the FINRA Investor Education Foundation

 

The FINRA Foundation supports innovative research and educational projects that give underserved Americans the knowledge, skills and tools to make sound financial decisions throughout life. For more information about FINRA Foundation initiatives, visit www.finrafoundation.org.