(StatePoint) It’s time once again to buy new school supplies, clothes and other necessities your kids need for the school year. This can be a big financial undertaking for many families, making back-to-school shopping a great opportunity to talk to your kids about important money management topics like budgeting and saving.

“This year our annual back-to-school survey found that only 15 percent of parents have created a back-to-school shopping budget with their child,” says Shelley Solheim, Director of Financial Education at Capital One. “Back-to-school shopping season is often overlooked as a financial education opportunity, but it’s an optimal time for parents to teach teens about budgets and smart spending in a real-world situation.”

Here are some tips to help you and your teen budget for back-to-school supplies:

Make it a family affair: Sit down and compile a list of supplies your child needs. Then see if you have any leftover supplies from last year, such as binders that can be re-used or glue sticks and crayons.

Do reconnaissance: In addition to contacting the school and visiting their website to find out what supplies your kids will need, consider talking to teachers and parents of older kids to find out what students actually need for each grade level.

Create a budget: Ask your teens how much they think is reasonable to spend on supplies. Then draft a list and price each item using the Internet or a mobile app. If you or your teen exceeds the projected estimate, work to divide the list into needs and wants, explaining why it’s important to prioritize.

Be flexible: If your teens really want those big-ticket items, work with them to find the money. They can find ways to cut costs by clipping coupons, looking for sales or buying used books. Any extra earnings can be put into a savings account, which lets families work towards savings goals together.

Parents can also help kids develop financial planning skills throughout the year, using methods and tools that resonate with them, such as online and video games. In fact, 76 percent of teens say educational video and online games are a good way to learn, according to the study from Capital One. One such tool is a new kid-friendly website, JA Finance Park Virtual, which tasks kids with meeting real-life needs, such as developing a budget, maintaining a household, supporting a family and pursuing a career through virtual simulation. To learn more, visit www.financepark.ja.org.

After all, 55 percent of teens said they want to learn more about money management skills, according to the study. So take advantage of this opportunity to begin talking to your kids about money today.

CHICAGO, IL - Kaplan University celebrated the graduation of its summer 2011 class during a graduation ceremony on August 6 at the Arie Crown Theater in Chicago. The following local students were awarded degrees: Jesse Harris, Montrose, Associate of Applied Science in Business Administration; Maureen Shelp, Brackney, Bachelor's in Interdisciplinary Studies; Kellie Mcguane, Susquehanna, Associate of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies; Shannon Warner, Susquehanna, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice; Mary Quiggle-Pickering, Meshoppen, Bachelor's in Accounting.

If it’s a Saturday during the months of November to March, there is just one place that you will find Elk Lake Forensics Director Keith Brosious - attending a forensics tournament at a high school somewhere in Pennsylvania.

His dedication to forensics at Elk Lake and in Pennsylvania led him, in March, to be inducted into the PA High School Speech League’s Hall of Fame, where he joined 47 other educators who have been inducted in the 52 year history of the league. It also led him to be honored with Single Diamond Award by the National Forensics League at the NFL National Tournament in Dallas, TX in June.

Brosious has been at the helm of the Elk Lake Forensics program for 19 years. Over the course of those years, he has had over 40 NCFL National Qualifiers, 3 NFL National Qualifiers, countless PA High School Speech League District Champions, two PHSSL State Champions, and two top 10 finishers at NCFL Nationals.

To Brosious, however, the trophies are not what it is all about. “I take great pride in having exposed my students to a competitive academic area that they would not have otherwise been exposed to. They were successfully competing against the top public and private school students in the state and in the country.”

The communication skills acquired by these students have allowed graduates of the EL Forensics Team to go on to lead successful careers in many different areas. There are EL Forensics team graduates who are lawyers, business owners, educators, doctoral candidates and professors, to name a few.

Brosious does not take too much credit for the success of his students. “These students were and are successful because they worked hard and were committed to success. As a coach, I am just the facilitator. I provided them with an opportunity and they took advantage of it.”

The support of the Elk Lake School District has been tremendous. Almost since the beginning, they have thrown their full support behind the program, commented Brosious.

The only downside to coaching forensics, for Brosious, is the length of the season and the travel time. Practices start in late September and the tournament season begins in November and runs, almost every weekend, until the end of March. Nationals are then held at the end of May and in mid-June. Some years, coaching forensics becomes a 9 month job.

Also, because many of the tournaments are located some distance from Elk Lake, the team has to travel long distances and leave very early on Saturday mornings. “It is not unusual for us to leave at 5:30 a.m. on a Saturday and not return until 11:00 p.m.,” commented Brosious.

This year, as he begins his 20th year coaching, Brosious will also be continuing his position as Director of the Scranton Catholic Forensics League, PHSSL Executive Board Member, PHSSL District 8 Co-Chair, and NFL Valley Forge Executive Board Member.

Brosious would like to see more local schools get involved in forensics. “My one goal for the second half of my career would be to encourage more local schools to get involved in this valuable academic co-curricular activity,” continued Brosious.

Brosious, the youngest coach to ever be inducted into the PHSSL Hall of Fame, is truly humbled by his recent honors. “To be selected by the coaches of Pennsylvania as one of a select few to enter the Hall of Fame is an inexplicable honor,” explained Brosious. “I owe it all to a great group of students and a very supportive school district.”

In his spare time and evenings, Brosious enjoys spending time on his horse farm in Falls, PA with his wife and daughter.

Members of Penn State Worthington Scranton’s Community Service Club held a “Love the Furry Friends” fundraiser for the animals at Griffin Pond Animal Shelter. Through the sale of home-baked dog biscuits and a donation drive for needed items, students raised $645 and collected 350 pounds of food and 100 pounds of cat litter. Pictured (l-r) above are: front - student organizer, Heather Konrad and Warren Reed, Griffin Pond Animal Shelter director, with Annie; back - Amy Smith, Stephanie Ficarro, Jeff Smith, Amanda Smith, Dr. Matthew Mutchler, PSWS professor and club advisor, Angela Capone, Janice Warner and David Ecker.