• Credit union issues school debit cards (Albany Democrat-Herald)

“Central Willamette Credit Union… has issued special debit cards for West Albany, South Albany and Lebanon high schools, each bearing their name and logo. Anytime someone swipes the debit card, the credit union makes a 3-cent donation back to the specific school…. The company has long awarded mini-grants to teachers for classroom projects. Central Willamette employees also spend hundreds of hours teaching financial literacy to mid-valley students, and the credit union presents a Financial Reality Fair each year at West Albany…”

• Beckley Stratton students experience realities of life after high school (The Register Herald)

“[S]tudents were given a dose of reality Wednesday as they took part in a "Get a Life" workshop, an event designed to teach students basic life skills they may not learn in the classroom… [The event] allowed for seventh and eighth-grade students to not only realize the importance of taking on some sort of education after high school, but also the importance of understanding how to budget, pay utilities and even buy a vehicle… Volunteers at each station then assisted students with paying their bills, purchasing a vehicle and buying groceries while they logged their spending on a sheet, budgeting the money they have due to their career choice.”

• Meridian High School students get a reality check (The Meridian Star)

“Meridian High School… [offered] students a glimpse of life after high school. Students were assigned different jobs, with their incomes based on education. As far as family makeup, students were either single, married, had kids or no kids… MHS counselor Holli Cobb said the event was targeted at ninth graders because they want them to think about financial literacy, graduating from high school, going to college or technical school and getting a job.”

• Central Earns Blue Star School Award (The Southside Messenger)

“Central High School was recently notified that they earned their Blue Star School designation based on the W!se Financial Literacy testing. To earn this award, a school must have achieved an 80% passing rate on the W!se Financial Literacy Certification Test and have either a majority of students on a given grade level take the test or achieve a minimum average score of 85%... The General Assembly and Board of Education added economics and personal finance to the list of courses students must pass to graduate several years ago and challenged school divisions to implement the new requirement with existing staff and resources.”

• Students Learn to Make Good Financial Decisions with NTC's "Dimes, Dollars & Decisions” (Benzinga)

"’Learning about personal finance at a young age is key to making smart decisions on money matters throughout all life stages,’" says Karen Tyler, Commissioner of North Dakota Securities Department. ‘We want to help our students develop healthy saving and spending habits before they bring home their first paycheck.’

The financial concepts covered in NTC's "Dimes, Dollars and Decisions" live shows are reinforced by student playbooks (both online and print versions), teacher guides, e-books, and digital games and activities that align with the financial concepts presented in the performances and are provided at no cost to the schools through North Dakota Securities Department's sponsorship."

About the Author

Danielle Bautista

Danielle is a native of Southern California and a recent graduate from the University of Maine, where she braved the frigid winters—a feat in and of itself—and earned her Bachelor's degree in International Affairs. She has a passion for working with non-profit organizations and serving populations in underprivileged communities. When Danielle isn't writing NGPF blog posts, spearheading various outreach projects, or managing contests and flash surveys, you can find her doing some sort of outdoor activity, learning a new hobby, or cracking what she thinks are witty puns!