It was awesome to catch up with NGPF Fellow Kerri Herrild of De Pere High School (Wisconsin) who discussed her Giving Project with us. Kerri shares her story on why this concept of "giving back" is so important to her. We go in-depth to learn how she brings philanthropy to her students in a tangible way. You will learn how her students react to this opportunity to research and donate to a cause that matters to them.

You will not only walk away inspired by Kerri but with a concrete set of resources so you can bring this Giving Project to your classroom. 

Details:

• 0:00~1:28 Introduction
• 1:28~3:19 Kerri’s background
• 3:19~6:01 Tips on teaching personal finance in a socioeconomically diverse classroom 
• 6:01~12:43 Passion for philanthropy 
• 12:43~20:21 How the giving project works
• 20:21~22:39 Types of organizations students concentrate on
• 22:39~23:26 A word from NGPF
• 23:26~30:40 How the project works, continued
• 30:40~36:05 Favorite stories
• 36:05~38:31 Finding a funding source
• 38:31~42:45 Getting admin approval
• 42:45~46:41 Allowing students to critically choose the organizations
• 46:41~48:11 How long the project takes to implement
• 48:11~49:13 Parent and community feedback
• 49:13~51:21 The true value of the project
• 51:21~52:51 Conclusion

Resources:

• Philanthropy Mini-Unit
• Charity Navigator
• Giving Project in a Box

Quotes:

• “I think you’re teaching one of those life lessons that will be there with them [the students] and it’s going to come full circle and they’re going to remember this and when they’re able, they’re going to want to give back because someone gave to them.”

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About the Authors

Ren Makino

Ren started interning at NGPF in 2014, and worked part-time through high school and college. With his knowledge growing alongside NGPF, he joined the team to work full-time after graduating from college in 2020. He is also the producer of the NGPF podcast. During his free time, he likes to try out coffees from different roasters across the world.

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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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