Meet Lauren, a high school junior who will begin applying to college in a few short months. Lauren has an A+ average in advanced calculus but does not know how a credit card works or how to apply for student loans. She will never use the skills she learned in calculus; she will need financial literacy or understanding in basic financial concepts to live independently. Lauren was never taught the importance of financial literacy or what it entails. 

Hershey High School should offer finance, economics, and business management classes, and require a basic financial literacy course.

A survey conducted by the Association of American Colleges and Universities found that only 55% of high school students feel prepared for their next step after graduation. Managing finances and loans add an additional obstacle to the already challenging world of applying for college. 

Like Health or Physical Education, a basic financial literacy course should be required at HHS. Learning about credit, debit, loans and aid should not be a problem students have to face alone.

For those interested in pursuing a business path after graduation, Hershey High School does offer courses such as accounting, marketing and money management. These are all helpful courses; however, HHS lacks instruction in economics, law and business management.

Clubs or extracurricular activities can also aid understanding in business, leadership, and financial concepts. The Future Business Leaders of America Club (FBLA) offers competitive events in subjects ranging from business math to current events available from middle school to college. Hershey currently has an FBLA club run by Mr. Stine, Hershey High School Technology Applications and Money Management teacher. 

DECA is another club similar to FBLA, but is not offered at HHS; it stands for Distributive Education Clubs of America. They offer competitions, challenges, volunteer opportunities, and outreach with local and international businesses. 

To learn more about financial literacy concepts, clubs like FBLA and classes like Money Management will explain the basics. In addition, you can contact the school board or the curriculum council and request more classes and opportunities in the field of business. The Derry Township School Board can be reached using the Community Correspondence Form.