In rural Appalachian communities of southeast Ohio, where generational poverty is high, communities and schools worked together to both create meaningful learning experiences and ensure that basic needs were met before students started the school year. Families of students who attended Summer Advantage--a 21-day summer school program for kindergarten through high school students living in an area marked by rural poverty--had an opportunity to learn more about financial literacy as they acquired materials they needed to get students ready for school. This experience offered insight about teaching economics and engaging families with the schools.