by Andru McCracken
According to Jerry Stanley at the Robson Valley Junior Academy, students there have their own currency. It’s called Schollars and it helps the kids raise money for technology projects.
The Seventh Day Adventist school in McBride has a market day four times a year where community shoppers exchange dollars for schollars and then shop from student vendors.
Stanley said kids in Kindergarten to Grade 4 can participate, but children in Grades 5 to 9 are required to create business plans and be an owner or partner in a business.
Stanley developed an online banking app that allows the students to have secure bank accounts.
The kids accumulate interest weekly on their money and are able to do e-transfers with each other.
That’s not all they do, Stanley said they have a Genius Hour program, where students pursue areas of interest to become a ‘genius’ in that area. Kids have developed a solar-powered phone charger, children’s books, websites, a lighted ball cap and much more.
