Financial Education with Drug Court Participants

By Sara Croymans, Extension Educator — Family Resiliency

For the first time, I am collaborating with the 8th Judicial District to provide financial education to drug court participants. I worked with Karon White, drug court coordinator, to develop a pilot budgeting program for a small group of drug court participants. Together we identified the following topics for the course:

• Goal setting 
• Credit history
• Debt
• Budgeting 

Five drug court participants attended a one-hour class on March 15 at the Kandiyohi County Courthouse. Following the class, participants completed an end of session evaluation. Participants indicated that they are better prepared to make SMART goals, plan to request a copy of their credit report, and now know strategies to manage a budget. All participants agreed that the information learned will positively impact their lives.

8th Judicial District Drug Court Coordinator Karon White and Judge Thomas Van Hon present a drug court graduate with her diploma on graduation during a ceremony Dec. 27, 2016 at the Swift County Courthouse.
Photo credit: Swift County Monitor.

I am pleased to report that the program will expand to include participants at the Morris and Montevideo locations.