7 News Belize

Financial Literacy From The Experts At Price Waterhouse and Coopers and Lybrand
posted (July 12, 2011)
You could study business at the high school and tertiary levels in Belize and probably never learn how to go into a bank and swim with the great white sharks of modern finance without getting devoured.

And that's why one of the world's leading accountancy firms Price Waterhouse has started a fascinating new initiative called Project Belize who have returned to Belize this year to teach students about financial literacy. We caught them at ACC today and found out about the life lessons learned in the classroom:

Alyssa Knauer, Intern - PWC
"So many things are happening it's an incredible program. In my class we have about 6 professionals from PWC and about 20 students that we are working with. We are teaching a financial literacy program - everything from learning how to create a personal long term goals. Its amazing kids are talking about creating a daycare for homeless individuals to find jobs and also cell phone companies and that sort of thing and also huge emphasis on social responsibility and their companies and I think their students are learning a lot. I think it's incredibly important - I've been privilege to travel and volunteer micro finances and seeing people start their own business but I've never seen the education portion of it and I think it's almost more important to educate people on how to do it rather than simple giving them the funds to do so."

Michele Guglielmi, Campus recruiting Manager - PWC
"So there are 8 different schools in total. we are the only one dealing with high school students. the rest are the younger students and then there are also a scholarship track going on in the teacher training track and that's at ITVET. The group that's here are absolutely the superstars of the firm - we pick the highest potential interns. They all submit applications and we pick the best interns. We have thousands of interns in the country and in regards to the staff that we selected - the hundred - those are the superstars that were nominated by their HR representatives our partners in their office and so those are the best and the brightest of the group. Since 2008 every years we basically have been donating supplies every year even though we haven't been here or giving money for scholarships. so this is the first year we are back since 2008."

Ismadely Requena, 3rd form student
"It's been very inspiring I mean they teach us like how to start up a business and like they teach us how to budget our money."

Monica Bodden
"Was it something new for you?"

Ismadely Requena, 3rd form student
"Yes it was. I've never had a business class or anything before. They teach us like what entrepreneurs are and what work they do. They teach us how to budget our money and they teach us how to have balance and a budget that isn't balance and they teach us like different things like what are inventions and innovations."

Ronnie Martinez, 3rd form student
"It's been a great experience because they are helping you to try to see how far you can go with your business that you want to have in the future. i am glad that I came because it's a great opportunity to figure how far you want to go in life."

Monica Bodden
"Have you had the intentions of opening your own business after studies?"

Ronnie Martinez, 3rd form student
"Yes I have my own business that I want to open - it's a car shop, Extreme Cars limited so that I can provide for the public more safer cars for the public."

This year 200 partners, staff and interns from Price Waterhouse are participating which will impact approximately 1200 students and many of their teachers. The program, runs from July 10-14 with Students from ten schools across the city including Ebenezer Methodist, All Saints Primary, Central Christian, Unity Presbyterian, Queen's Square Anglican, Wesley Primary, St. John's Anglican, Queen Street Baptist, Anglican Cathedral College and Gwen Lizarraga High. In addition to this, thirty five (35) teachers will participate in the training on Financial Literacy.

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