Every one of us has experienced both financial gains and losses during our lifetime and this past year may have left you looking for a way to help and give back right here in your community.
If banking, savings, budgets, and credit are a few of your favorite topics, Extension’s offering an excellent training opportunity for community members in Livingston, McLean, and Woodford counties interested in volunteering for the Money Mentors program.
Money Mentor volunteers build financial capacity in our local communities by providing financial education and coaching to individuals. Mentoring consists of working one-on-one with people who have asked for help with their personal finances and community outreach through displays, community talks, or other projects.
Our next training starts Thursday, June 10. It will be taught virtually and includes self-directed work on the Learn @ Illinois Extension platform and class discussions online using Zoom. Each week there will be homework in the form of activities, readings, and online discussions. Assistance is available for anyone who is not familiar or comfortable with Zoom meetings or online coursework.
There are thirteen weeks of training, June 10 – September 2. Below are the days for the live session when you will need to be on Zoom with the instructors. The full schedule will be available before training begins. Live Zoom Meetings are on the following Thursdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. June 10, July 1, July 15, August 12, and September 2.
Money Mentor volunteers receive approximately 30 hours of training in money management, financial mentoring, and community resources. Opportunities are provided during training to apply financial knowledge to case examples and to practice mentoring skills. An application, interview, and background checks are required before admission into the program. The registration cost is a one-time $40 fee that helps cover training and material costs. Partial scholarships available if needed.
For program information and to register for this training, please visit go.illinois.edu/LMWmoneymentors.
SOURCE: Camaya Wallace Bechard, Consumer Economics Educator, serving Livingston, McLean, and Woodford Counties.
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