Penny Harvest begins

BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. » The annual harvesting of pennies, as well as assorted coins, has begun in the Ballston Spa schools. During the month of November, students are collecting coins in all of the schools and participating in a variety of events to raise funds to give back to the local community.

Students have gathered and donated more than $80,300 through the program during the past 10 years. Last year, students specifically donated $7,242 in funds to eight local non-profit organizations during the district’s annual Penny Harvest Celebration that took place in May.

This year, more than 80 students were chosen as Penny Harvest leaders in their respective schools and are responsible for researching local community issues and non-profit organizations. Members of the student roundtable in each school will then interview representatives from local organizations and discuss how their funds could be used to further support these non-profits. The SEFCU Penny Harvest is implemented in grades K-12, in all six school buildings in the district, and has proven to be successful in educating students in service learning, financial literacy, and 21st century learning skills. This program teaches students about the importance of philanthropy and service as well as teaching math, communication, and team building skills.

The program, now in its eleventh year, is implemented in the fall of each school year and funding presented to local charities in May.

For more information, please visit the individual Ballston Spa school websites or contact the BSCSD Office of District Advancement at (518) 884-7195, Ext. 1369.