In 2017, First Florida Credit Union’s Camp C.E.O. was established to address a pressing issue: the rising student loan debt and the alarming statistics showing that two-thirds of adults lacked basic financial literacy. Recognizing the gap in our school curriculum, Camp C.E.O. set out to equip a generation of students with the financial knowledge they need to navigate college and beyond.
Camp C.E.O covers essential topics like budgeting, understanding credit reports and scores, managing credit cards and loans and fostering entrepreneurial skills. Hosted annually at First Florida Credit Union’s St. Johns County branch, Camp C.E.O. offers this free program to 20-25 local teens every summer. This year’s camp was hosted between July 15 and 19.
“We taught them valuable tools for creating a budget, for getting a loan for the first time and even investing,” said Keith Manze, community relations specialist for First Florida Credit Union. “And the whole purpose is to get them ahead of other teenagers.”
Manze noted that it is not all lecture based. It is very hands-on with students also creating their own businesses, products or apps over the course of the week, then presenting it “Shark Tank” style in front of fellow students and a group of judges.
“We learned about credit history, credit cards and how to use them, and retirement plans and investing and all that,” said Daniel Zacharia, 14, a Nease High School student. “It was really fun to learn and interesting.”
