The Alpaugh Family Economics Center at UC

We nearly missed a special shoutout in the hustle and bustle of our late March/early April Susan Sargen Student Enterprise Program (StEP) stores—Glendale Elementary, we didn’t forget you! Right after Spring Break, our StEP team rolled in for Glendale’s 3rd quarter store, where 1st–4th graders put their hard-earned StEP bucks to good use—making real decisions about saving, spending, and donating. (5th grade missed out because they were off adventuring at Camp Joy!) A huge thanks to our awesome volunteers from LOTH, Inc—Sarah, Patty, Hannah, and Kelly—plus Blake from Truepoint Wealth Counsel, Angela from The North Side Bank & Trust Company, and the ever-amazing Sylvia, who’s been with us through so many stores. You brought smiles, patience, and lots of encouragement for these hardworking students! Hot picks of the day? Gift cards and jewelry were flying off the store tables! And once again, Glendale students showed their generosity by donating to support Glendale Youth Sports. #StudentEnterprise #FinancialEducation #volunteering

A big thank you to our friends at Fidelity Investments for helping bring the Invest in Girls program to students at Woodward High School in Cincinnati! Today, volunteers from Fidelity spent time with Mrs. Ervin’s 9th grade class, leading thoughtful conversations about setting S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely) financial goals and understanding your personal money habits. Future sessions will cover budgeting, using credit cards, and paying taxes. The Invest in Girls program is all about building confidence and practical money skills—giving students the tools they need to make thoughtful decisions now and in the future. We're grateful to Fidelity for supporting the next generation of financially confident young women! #financialeducation #investingirls #volunteering

In this week's Emerging Leaders Spotlight: Meet Amber Newman, a dedicated member of the Alpaugh Family Economics Center’s Emerging Leaders board and one of our most committed volunteers. Amber brings both heart and experience to everything she does—qualities that shine through in her work and community involvement. She’s a Personal Trust Officer at The North Side Bank & Trust Company, where she’s built an impressive career over two decades. Amber says she values being part of a company that treats its employees like family—and that same care extends to their customers. Born and raised in Cincinnati, she now lives in Colerain Township with her daughter, Kehaulani. She holds a degree in business administration and management from Thomas More University. Amber was first introduced to the Economics Center through St. Boniface School, and she’s been an enthusiastic volunteer ever since. One of her most memorable moments at the StEP store was helping a student who had saved all his StEP earnings for good behavior and attendance--not for himself, but to make sure a classmate could buy gifts for his family. That kind of generosity is unforgettable, and it’s the reason so many of our volunteers come back again and again. Amber, thank you for all you do—for the Center, for students, and for your community. We’re lucky to have you on our Emerging Leaders board! #StudentEnterprise #volunteering #Cincinnati

When you purchase a ticket for the 2025 Annual Awards Raffle, you're doing more than entering to win great prizes—you’re investing in students, educators, and the future of financial literacy in our region. Your purchase supports the Susan Sargen Student Enterprise Program (StEP), which brings real-world financial education into elementary and middle school classrooms across Greater Cincinnati. Through StEP, students learn to earn, save, donate to causes they care about, and make thoughtful money choices. It also funds programs like The Stock Market Game, which turns thousands of Ohio students into confident, informed investors each year, and helps us provide top-notch professional development that equips educators with the tools and confidence to teach economics and personal finance effectively. Each $5 raffle ticket helps ensure more children and educators gain these lifelong skills in a way that’s fun, meaningful, and lasting. Join us in making a difference—and maybe win something exciting along the way! https://lnkd.in/gc6PCNRA

Third quarter Susan Sargen Student Enterprise Program (StEP) stores came to a close with our visit to Holy Cross Elementary across the river in Latonia, KY today! The stores give students the chance to make decisions about spending, saving, and/or donating their StEP earnings for good behavior, attendance, and meeting other classroom goals. We had two phenomenal volunteers on hand from United Dairy Farmers, Beth and Valerie, as well as Owen, the son of StEP director Erin Harris, who pitched in on his spring break! Thanks to all for their kindness and good humor at the busy checkout tables. Holy Cross students have a strong grasp of how StEP works, and made the most of their opportunities to earn bonus money through helping with math, asking great questions, and doing extra activities in their StEP books. Stuffed animals were by far the most popular items - we sold three big boxes of them! Several others resisted the temptation of smaller items in the store in order to save up for $25 gift cards at the end of the year. The Holy Cross students are generous, with most setting aside money to donate to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Cincinnati, the school's chosen charity, instead of buying other items. #StudentEnterprise #financialeducation #volunteering

On Thursday, our Susan Sargen Student Enterprise Program (StEP) team visited Frederick Douglass Elementary in Walnut Hills for their busy third quarter StEP store. Every K–6 student at Douglass participates in StEP, earning StEP bucks through good behavior and attendance, then making their own decisions about spending, saving, or donating. Students were excited to chat with our volunteers, and proud to show their generosity to Douglass' chosen charity, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Cincinnati. It’s always inspiring to see kids give back to causes that matter to them! We’re truly grateful for the fantastic volunteer crew that made the day run smoothly: -Libby, Kim, Andrew, Randy, Gina, and Bethany from Bartlett Wealth Management -Rebecca from Fueled Collective Cincinnati (Rebecca is the wife of Center Emerging Leaders board member Jared Wheeler) -UC students Henry and Beckett, who kept the checkout lines moving! Thank you all! #StudentEnterprise #FinancialLiteracy #GivingBack #TheWorkThatMatters

Last week, our Susan Sargen Student Enterprise Program (StEP) team traveled to St. Boniface School to stage their second trimester StEP store. Since our last visit in November, these students have been hard at work, earning and saving StEP bucks through good behavior and attendance and classroom achievements—and the StEP store is their opportunity to make decisions about spending, saving, or donating those earnings. The energy was off the charts as students shopped for rewards they’ve been thinking about for months! Many of these hardworking kids also gave back, donating generously to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Cincinnati, which provides a home-away-from-home for families with children receiving medical care. A huge shoutout to our incredible volunteer team from The North Side Bank & Trust Company, including Cassidy, and Center Emerging Leaders board members Leah and Amber—who are always so kind and patient with the kids at the checkout tables! #FinancialEducation #StudentEnterprise #volunteering

Fifth graders at Endeavor Elementary are currently gearing up for Market Madness at Fifth Third Arena on May 5th! As part of this favorite element of our Susan Sargen Student Enterprise Program (StEP), these young entrepreneurs are exploring economics, collaboration, and business ownership in a hands-on way by forming classroom businesses. Step one? Job interviews. An amazing team of StEP volunteers visited their classrooms to help students interview for leadership roles in their businesses. Huge thanks to: Center board member Al Riddick (Game Time Budgeting), Shannon Dowling (Truepoint Wealth Counsel), Erica Yenke (The North Side Bank & Trust Company), Samantha Tyler (Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland), Center Emerging Leaders board member Nick Hoyng (Danis), Keesha Sucher (Bryan Equipment Sales, Inc), Mel Young (Truepoint Wealth Counsel) and Zain Amir (Bartlett Wealth Management)! With eight classes of Endeavor students attending this year, it took two full days of interviews—and we even got a visit from Braxton, the therapy dog. We can't wait to see these young entrepreneurs in action at Market Madness on May 5th! #FutureEntrepreneurs #MarketMadness #StEP #HandsOnLearning

As part of our 2025 Annual Awards coming up on April 23rd, the Center's Emerging Leaders board has organized a raffle to help raise funds for Center programs like our Susan Sargen Student Enterprise Program (StEP) and Market Madness. The raffle website is now live--giving you an opportunity to buy raffle tickets for your chance at a wide range of fantastic items, including UC football helmets and other gear signed by Jason Kelce, high-end bourbon baskets, a distillery tour, pickleball package, golf packages, and much more! You can purchase raffle tickets for $5 each, and the winners for each prize will be drawn at random at the Annual Awards on April 23rd! Click the link for tickets and details on all the prizes. https://lnkd.in/gc6PCNRA

Friday was a very busy day for our Susan Sargen Student Enterprise Program (StEP) team at North College Hill Middle School, where almost 300 5th, 6th, and 7th grade students shopped to wrap up their 3rd quarter! These hardworking students are clearly well-aware that they still have a lot of learning to do the last two months of school, as many spent some of their StEP earnings for good behavior and attendance on much needed school supplies (mechanical pencils and pencils were the top selling items). Thirteen percent of students showed impressive financial savvy, saving every last dollar to earn interest and go big in May—focused on saving enough for wireless earbuds or $25 gift cards. A big thanks to our incredible volunteers from Truist, Emily and John, UC students Lia and Avery, and Emerging Leaders Board members Nic and Caitlin! #StudentEnterprise #financialliteracy #EconomicEducation