On Feb. 29, members of the Bowling Green High School DECA program were awarded a Compass Award for their money management clas.

Instructor Cara Maxey accepted the award on behalf of the program.

Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague in December announced Compass Award honorees for the fourth quarter of 2023. The quarterly recognition program commends organizations, programs, and individuals across the state who are working to guide Ohioans toward financial literacy and empowerment.

In 2023, participating seniors facilitated a money management class for students. Seniors visited the middle school’s Money Management class and provided small group instruction on topics such as saving, interest, and investments. The project made a measurable impact on students, as data collected from final exam scores reflected an overall improvement of 8% from the prior year. Through the project, seniors also shared they gained useful knowledge about money management.

The Bowling Green High School DECA is a satellite program of Penta Career Center offered to junior and senior students. DECA provides students with experiential learning and work experiences related to a variety of careers in business management and administration, finance, hospitality and tourism, and project management. Through the program, students learn to plan, implement, and manage projects from the early stages to completion.