Bucs Impacting Schools

CSU Students Teach Financial Literacy in

Low-Income Afterschool Program By Jenna Johnson / Photo by Ty Cornett

Last semester the Nielsen College of Business’s Center for Personal Financial Management began a partnership with local nonprofit Beyond Our Walls, which provides free afterschool and summer programs for low-income elementary and middle school students.

CSU students like Justin Kizer serve as peer-to-peer coaches where they teach budgeting and goal setting to improve financial positioning. “I love having the opportunity to help people in need and becoming a peer coach is a great avenue for doing that,” said Kizer, a senior financial management major. He and other students got to apply their skills with kids in North Charleston.

After seeing how high school students and their parents struggled with basic financial literacy, Joyce Maybin Nesmith of Charleston County District 4 knew it was vital to teach them where they are and at a young age. “We have to help families in that poverty bubble to get them in a better place financially,” she said. “We constantly hear about black and brown children and the achievement gap. We need to start addressing the achievement gap and come up with resources out in the neighborhood to do that.” Curriculum in the BOWS program consists of math, reading, and financial literacy concepts.

Nesmith said she most appreciates when people put action with words. “It’s one thing for people to talk about the needs of the community, and it’s another thing when they actually come and get involved. I commend Charleston Southern University in coming out to the neighborhood,” she said. “The [kids at BOWS] will be inspired by students who are closer to their age. It’s going to be done in a nice, impactful way and done right there in their community.”

The partnership between CSU and BOWS was God-orchestrated, according to Dr. Heather Chadwick, assistant professor of economics. Chadwick met Nesmith through a mutual friend on BOWS board of directors. Chadwick shared with a friend about the peer-to-peer student coaches within the new Center for Personal Financial Management at CSU. Her friend sits on the BOWS Board of Directors. After months of planning, Chadwick launched the students to BOWS for bi-weekly sessions. “They are excited to teach what they know about finance and literacy and work with the kids and the community,” she added.

After a couple of sessions, Kizer and CSU students are already forming bonds. “The moment I walked in the door, most of the kids got really excited and almost all of them remembered my name. We really are able to make an impact on these kids,” Kizer said. “Going to BOWS has already become a wonderful experience, and it’s a relationship that I hope continues for a long time.

Justin Kizer and other CSU students volunteer as peer-to-peer coaches within the Center for Personal Financial Management.

Tutoring Elementary Students with Heart Math

By Kathryn Thorne ’22

CSU student Caroline Smith with Ladson elementary student. Photo provided C harleston Southern students volunteered with Heart Math Tutoring in an effort to give back and provide academic assistance to students in need.

Since 2013, the program has grown from two to 24 school sites providing individualized, volunteer-delivered math tutoring to over 4,500 elementary students to date.

Dr. Karen Fonkert, professor of mathematics education, said the program is well-scripted and not that time intensive with an hour here and there each week. “The volunteers don’t have to have any math background or math teaching experiences because the tutoring is set up so nicely.”

Junior elementary education major Sarah Riddle said, “It’s definitely rewarding to see them get something and see them gain confidence in themselves.” Riddle volunteered on Mondays at Ladson Elementary. She said the opportunity helped her develop classroom experience.

Kathryn Thorne graduated in May 2022 and served as an intern in the Marketing & Communication office.