Teaching financial literacy: The bottom line

April is Financial Literacy Month, and while it’s always a great time to talk about financial literacy, April shines a big spotlight on my favorite topic! Not everyone will geek out about it like I do—and I’m okay with that—but we need to face some hard truths. Nearly one-fourth of millennials are spending more than they earn, college students are racking up record debt, and more and more people say they have less than three months’ worth of emergency funds. We have to teach the skills that will let students enjoy their earnings and look forward to financial security.

As a business and technology teacher dedicated to bright and secure futures for all my students, I’m really excited to see financial literacy being taken more seriously. Recently, I was part of a push to get a bill passed in Massachusetts that outlines financial literacy standards and stipulates that the classes be taught by qualified teachers. We are making progress!

Now, as more support is building at the state level, we have to make sure that teachers get the curricular resources they need to bring financial literacy into their classrooms. Programs like Discover and Discovery Education’s Pathway to Financial Success are great because they supply a variety of resources that teachers need to go beyond balancing a checkbook. (Does anyone write checks anymore?) From banking online to keeping an eye on your Venmo, building credit and understanding loans, the program offers a comprehensive set of financial literacy lessons that today’s students need to have.…Read More

Financial literacy program aimed at Neb. schools

A new program will offer an online education in financial literacy to Nebraska high school students and parents, the Associated Press reports. State Treasurer Don Stenberg on Thursday unveiled the new initiative, which will be available this fall. The program is being offered through an agreement with EverFi, Inc., an educational technology company based in Washington, D.C. The coursework addresses a range of financial tops, including credit cards, credit scores, insurance, mortgages, savings, student loans and taxes…

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20 things kids should learn about money

Here are the 20 basic things that young people should learn about financial literacy — as recommended by the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability, the Washington Post reports. The council, named in January, recently released “Money as You Grow,” personal finance lessons for kids — and everyone else who doesn’t know how to live financially smart. You can see the entire program here, complete with activities, but following are the 20 basic points that the council says everyone should know, along with the ages at which students should learn them…

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