Money Smart Kid Essay Contest offers chance to win $1,000 for college

Waukon State Bank is participate in Money Smart Week being observed April 21-28 this year, and there is an opportunity for a student to earn money for college through the Iowa Money Smart Kid Essay Contest, which is sponsored by the Iowa Bankers Association in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

Students in seventh through 11th grades can now enter the 12th annual Money Smart Kid Essay Contest. The student with the winning essay will be selected as Iowa’s Money Smart Kid for 2018 and receive $1,000 toward college savings, funded by the Iowa Bankers Association.

“The Money Smart Kid Essay Contest is a fun competition to get the next generation thinking about the importance of saving,” said Gail Prestemon, Waukon State Bank President. “We would love to see a student from our local community receive this year’s award and encourage all eligible students to participate.”

Essays are due to the Iowa Bankers Association by March 16. Eligible students can enter the contest by writing an essay of 400 words or fewer, addressing the following:

Write a brief newspaper article describing the potential devastating effects of a natural disaster (fire, flood, hurricane, etc.) on a family’s financial situation. Participants should select only one type of natural disaster for the focus of their article. Be sure to include tips and resources for readers to help prepare them for a potential, future, unexpected crisis.

The 2018 Money Smart Kid award recipient also serves as an ambassador during Money Smart Week-Iowa, visiting several communities across the state. Applications, contest guidelines and essay requirements are also available in Waukon State Bank’s lobbies, located at 22 West Main Street and 301 Rossville Road in Waukon. For more information about the Money Smart Kid Essay Contest and to download the application, visit https://iowajumpstart.org/moneysmartweekiowa/consumer/read-money-messages/.