Consumer Education and Training Services

DEBT SLAPPED Debt Slapped helps high school students obtain critical information so they can make informed decisions about their postsecondary education. CENTS main focus for 2022 was to embark on a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion outreach tour focusing on schools with higher populations of Black, Indigenous and People of Color BIPOC students schools with higher percentages of students eligible for free or reduced lunches and schools in different regions of Washington. CENTS held 108 presentations statewide for students and 15 trainings for educators, reaching over 1,200 students and 80 teachers. The program is effective and well received by both teachers and students. By comparing the pre-assessment tests to the post-assessment tests, students are making significant gains in the knowledge they learn from the presentations. Over 90 of students mark in their evaluations the would recommend our program to a friend.

DEBT SLAPPED FOR PARENTS also known as DONT GET DEBT FOR PARENTS/PLANNING FOR HIGHER EDUCATION FOR FAMILIES CENTS partnered with the WA529 to promote CENTS free resource to help parents of K-12 students plan for their childrens future higher education. The program consists of an Activity Workbook, Resource Guide and video. In 2022, CENTS updated the written materials and enhanced its video which will further help parents strategize and plan.

SENIOR MONEY Senior Money was originally developed with Washington Attorney Bob Ferguson and it helps senior citizens identify and avoid scams. CENTS has pivoted to providing remote presentations at senior centers across Washington and contributing articles to their newsletters. In 2022, CENTS wrote eight monthly articles for the newsletters of several senior centers.