Editor, The News;
Let’s help young people manage their personal finances.
This November will mark the first edition of Financial Literacy Month in Canada. This full month of activities and events will highlights the need for increased financial literacy in Canada. In the current economic climate, it is important that we all improve our knowledge, skills and confidence in making responsible financial choices for ourselves, but we also need to think about the next generation.
Too many young Canadians leave high school lacking financial life skills and don’t know the harsh financial realities they’ll face in the “real” world. That is why it’s imperative that parents and educators teach our children how to handle their money and make wise financial decisions.
As a teacher, I have been using The City: A Financial Life Skills Resource in my classroom to teach my student basic concepts such as budgeting and savings, credit and debt, insurance, financial planning and how to avoid fraud. The City makes finance more stimulating and engaging by drawing students in with storylines featuring eight characters that are at different stages in their lives. These stories and characters show students some of the financial situations they will face themselves.
During Financial Literacy Month, I would like to encourage all parents and teachers to initiate discussions with teenagers regarding personal money management so that they can be better prepared and have the tools they need to navigate through the financial realities of adulthood.
For more information about The City, a program developed by the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) and the British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC), please visit HYPERLINK “http://www.fcac-acfc.gc.ca/eng/education/index-eng.asp”fcac.gc.ca and go to the “Education Programs” section. For more information about Financial Literacy Month, visit HYPERLINK “C:\\Users\\lucy.johnson\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Temporary Internet Files\\Content.IE5\\JW9IXKQH\\financialliteracymonth.ca”financialliteracymonth.ca
Lucy Johnson
CTS teacher
Kate Andrews High School