Manage Money and Make Friends at WMU’s Dollars & Sense Camp
If there’s one thing on a teenager’s mind, it’s money.
Though parents may hear their children asking for money, it is often one of the most overlooked and crucial skills needed as an adult.
As parents, we want our children to have the proper skill set to manage money and become financially independent.
But how do you teach a teenager about the stock market, savings and investments?
Answer: They attend a summer camp like no other.
In just one week at WMU’s Dollars & Sense Camp, teens in eighth through twelfth grade learn how the economy works, how the stock market functions, investing, budgeting, and other financial concepts.
In this article
Why Finance Camp?
The truth is, many parents never learned about money or investing when they were younger and wished they had.
WMU’s Dollars & Sense Camp lays the foundation for sound financial habits, including understanding financial vocabulary, goal setting, budgeting, investing, saving for college, and more.
Taught by WMU faculty members and personal finance professionals, classes include two real-world projects to apply their new skills.
All classes are in WMU’s Greenleaf Trust Trading Room, housed within the Haworth College of Business.
The trading room gives a glimpse into a Wall Street environment and is equipped with the tools that finance professionals use every day.
WIN
Giveaway: 4 Scholarships to Dollars & Sense
Enter to WIN 1 of 4 scholarships to attend Dollars & Sense Camp this summer, sponsored by Mattawan Mechanical Services!
| 4 Winners: Free scholarship to Dollars & Sense Camp (value: $299 each) |
| Camp Dates: August 4 – 8, 2025 (9 AM – 4 PM). |
| Ages: Campers must be in grades 8-12 for the 2025-2026 school year. |
| Giveaway winners will coordinate free camp registration with Dollars & Sense. Scholarship funds are distributed to the university, not parents. |
Enter here:
FINE PRINT:
This giveaway will close on April 21, 2025, at 11 pm and the winner will be notified via email. The winner will have 24 hours to respond by email accepting the prize. No purchase necessary to enter the contest. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You are providing your information to kzookids.com and not to Facebook. Entrants will release Facebook from all liability. Entrants must be at least 21 years of age and reside in Michigan. Only one entry per household or IP address. Kalamazoo Kids’ liability is limited to the value of the prize. Camp attendees must be in grades 8-12 for the 2025-2026 school year.
What Will Teens Learn at Dollars & Sense?
This camp, hosted by the Haworth College of Business at Western Michigan University, teaches more than 10 different financial topics:
- Discover career pathways
- Plan for college or a skilled trade
- Build a financial plan to fund post-secondary education
- Practice budgeting, saving, and investing
- Learn about cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies
- Explore insurance and risk management
- Gain knowledge about real estate
- Compete in virtual investing, budgeting, and other personal finance games
- Meet business professionals and interact with real-world work environments, learning from experts
- Create a Life Cycle Plan to help chart out their future
Students start the camp with an interest in money management and finance, and we see that grow throughout the week as they get hands-on practice with different financial concepts and see the impact that financial planning makes long-term in people’s lives.
Students walk away from the camp more confident and asking the right questions about the stock market and their personal finances, which helps them to be better financial decision makers in the future. It was encouraging to hear almost all the campers say that they will work as many hours as possible while in college and get by with used cars in order to minimize their student debt!
– Jim P. DeMello, Chairman, Department of Finance and Commercial Law
Real Life Financial Projects + Campus Tour = An Unforgettable Week
Dollars & Sense is a summer camp option with substance. Sessions are discussion-based, interactive and FUN.
Special Projects
Camp attendees will work on two projects:
1 – Stocks
Select stocks based on data and research and chart the progress of those stocks in real-time throughout the week.
2 – Life Cycle Financial Plan
Design a life cycle financial plan, laying out where you want to be in terms of your personal finances and life goals and how you are going to get there—from today through retirement.
WMU Tour
Attendees will gain a fun glimpse into campus life at Western Michigan.
Dollars & Sense also includes an extensive campus tour through a variety of different colleges and departments.
Camp Registration
Register online for Dollars & Sense camp this summer!
- Dates: August 4 – 8, 2025
- Times: Daily, 9 AM – 4 PM
Campers will be immersed in the world of finance and learn how to harness its power to help them succeed not only in business but in life as they develop tools to create and maintain a personal budget and save for the future.
Dollars & Sense Camp
featured partner
Sanford Center for Financial Planning and Wellness
Western Michigan University
1903 W Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo, MI 49008
(269) 387-5125
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