• Walter Cronkite had a passion for financial literacy.  A WAPO columnist plugs his curriculum here (Boston Globe):

There isn’t enough caution in the curriculum of financial literacy materials. But that’s not the case with courses developed by the FoolProof Foundation, an organization that was created with help from the late CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite, who, I learned, had a passion for financial literacy. “We have to take financial literacy back from people who make money when we make financial mistakes,” said Remar Sutton, volunteer chairman of the FoolProof Foundation Walter Cronkite Project. Sutton is also a former Washington Post lifestyle columnist.

On the website foolproofme.com, the foundation offers free online financial literacy lessons for students and individuals of all ages. In addition to the courses, you’ll find useful guides with short videos on various consumer finance topics, such as buying a car or avoiding the latest scams.

• iGrad and University of Illinois have developed an online teacher certification program (eCampus News):

iGrad and the University of Illinois (UI) have launched a financial literacy instructor certification program, aimed at boosting instructor confidence in the subject. The online course will be led by Scott Johnson, Program Coordinator of the Illinois Online Network (ION), a faculty development program at the University of Illinois that focuses on online and technology-enhanced teaching and learning. The course will employ the classroom curriculum “Your Financial Mastery” from iGrad and “Pay Your Family First.” The 2015 “Education Program of the Year” was written by best-selling author Sharon Lechter and Certified Personal and Family Finance Educator Angela Totman.

• Iowa hosted financial literacy summit (WHO-TV)

The 2015 Iowa Financial Literacy Summit looks to help you manage your money better. One of the major focuses for the summit will be giving high school and college students the tools to make better financial decisions. “We know when kids graduate, just getting that diploma doesn’t make them financially literate,” said Stefanie Wage, Iowa Department of Education. The Iowa Department of Education made scholarships available for 50 high school students.

• Elementary school students in Walpole Island (Canada) learned about finances through a simulation (Wallaceburg Courier Press)

  Walpole Island Elementary School students received an eye-opening look into everyday finances on May 20. The students took part in a financial simulation called The Student Reality Store to help them prepare for the real-life decisions ahead of them. The financial literacy program helps students understand different career options, as well as learning the benefits of staying in school and moving on to post-secondary education, said Erinn Monture, designer and CEO of The Student Reality Store.

• Hawaiian high schools seeking to improve the financial literacy of their students (HPR-2)

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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