Scanning the headlines to find out what high schools are up to when it comes to personal finance education:

• Students at Marion HIgh School (Virginia) participated in a checking account simulation recently (SWVA Today):

“The Financial Literacy Project—Your Checking Account, sponsored by Bank of Marion, is a simulation is designed to teach the skills necessary to maintain a checking account. Students first learn about checking account basics and then actually write checks, make deposits and reconcile their accounts using the forms provided. The materials not only teach an important aspect of money management, but also correct bad habits that may otherwise persist throughout adult life.

• Conrad High School (TX) recently opened a student-run bank that only takes “Conrad dollars (KERA News)”:

Teachers hand out “Conrad cash” to students who have done well on an assignment or met a goal. And they use that cash to buy snacks or other items at the school store.  “One of our goals is to make the cash on campus worth a little bit more money, have more value to it,” Gilbert says. “And also offer incentives as far as earning interest.”

• High school juniors and seniors in Ohio experienced the real world through a simulation (Cincinnati.com):

At January’s finance-themed class, students participated in Real Money, Real World, a research-based finance education program offered through Extension and customized to the Ohio economy. Real Money, Real World offers a hands-on simulation to teach youth about lifestyle and budget choices similar to those they will make as adults.

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

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