December 13, 2023 - 10:04am -- rusler-heiss.1@...

During the annual Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education (AFCPE®) Symposium in New Orleans, a team of Ohio State University Extension educators, which included Dr. Roseanne Scammahorn, former OSU Extension FCS Educator in Darke County, accepted the 2023 Outstanding Educational Program Award on behalf of The Ohio State University. The award recognizes the exceptional work of Real Money. Real World. an OSU youth financial literacy program.

The national Outstanding Educational Program Award goes to an educational program that is significantly impacting the financial counseling and planning education field. The program will have well-defined objectives for its target audience, and provide supportive educational materials, content and methods that are audience appropriate.

The program, taught statewide and nationally, is considered innovative and adaptable for other practitioners and educators to replicate and/or adapt in their work. Real Money. Real World. Is ideally suited for youth ages 13-16 and it provides “learning by doing” sessions which students connect what they learned to real-life situations.

Melissa J. Rupp, a Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Educator in Fulton County, submitted OSU’s Real Money. Real World. for consideration for this award. Melissa is an Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC) who specializes in grant development, compression planning, and strategic planning.

If you would like to have Real Money. Real World. brought to your school, contact Mercedes McFarland, 4-H Youth Development Educator, Darke County. Mercedes can be reached by calling 937-548-5215 or email woodson.76@osu.edu.

AFCPE is a national nonprofit organization and the nationally recognized leader in financial counseling, coaching and education.

Ohio State University Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences, is an outreach arm of the Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

Photo: (l to r) Rachael DeLeon, executive director, AFCPE; Roseanne ScammahornSouthern Rural Development Center, Mississippi State University; OSU Extension's Susan Zies, assistant professor, Family and Consumer Sciences; Sarah Jackson, extension educator, 4-H Youth Development; Margaret Jenkins, assistant professor, Family and Consumer Sciences; Courtney Warmanprogram specialist, FCS Healthy Finances; Melissa J. Rupp, extension educator, Family and Consumer Sciences; Andi Wrenn, AFC, 2023 AFCPE Board President.