Tax I Students Bring Financial Literacy to Local Elementary Schools
Published: January 13, 2026 | Author: Taylen Hadlock | Read Time: 2 minutes
Students enrolled in the Tax I course at the Dixie L. Leavitt School of Business are making a lasting impact in the community by volunteering with Junior Achievement, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting financial literacy and career readiness among K–12 students. Last semester, the entire class participated in a hands-on volunteer experience at Iron Springs Elementary, teaching financial concepts to students across multiple grade levels.
Previously, the involvement with Junior Achievement was a small group of university faculty and staff visiting elementary classrooms. This year, however, the initiative expanded to include SUU students, bringing the full Tax I class into Iron Springs Elementary classrooms for an immersive, multi-day experience. Over a few days, these volunteers were able to go into 13 classrooms and teach hundreds of students about financial literacy.
“The kids absolutely loved having the college students in their classrooms,” said Brinley Hockett, a Tax I student who volunteered in both third and fourth-grade classrooms. “Their faces lit up when they saw us, and they were so attentive and excited to learn.”
The program was structured to meet the needs of students in each grade level. Lessons covered a range of practical financial topics, including how money is earned and spent, different forms of payment, and the basics of transactions and decision-making. The Junior Achievement curriculum included games, group work, and hands-on projects where students created mock businesses and explained how and where they allocated their money.
Hockett felt that the experience was so rewarding that she volunteered to come multiple times even after her assignment was complete.
“It was incredibly fulfilling to get in front of kids and help them learn things you’re interested in,” she said. “Watching how excited they were to understand financial concepts reminded me to be grateful for my own college experience. I adored it and would highly recommend it to other students.”
Tax I students were placed in groups of two to three and assigned to classrooms for three to five hours, depending on grade level. All materials were provided through Junior Achievement’s lesson kits, allowing volunteers to focus on engagement and interaction with less focus on lesson planning.
Professor Jon Lee emphasized the value of the experience for both the elementary students and the university volunteers. While some students were initially concerned about stepping away from class time, attitudes shifted quickly once they saw the impact they were making.
“It was great to see how much our students learned from the experience and how meaningful it became for them,” Lee said.
The Dixie L. Leavitt School of Business is proud of its students for their service and cannot wait to continue expanding this program one classroom at a time. To get involved with the program, please reach out to Professor Jon Lee for more information.Tags: Professional Sales School of Business Accounting Community
Contact Information:
Brooke Heath
435-586-5400
brookeheath1@suu.edu