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Toolkit Includes Ready-to-Use Lesson Plans on Budgeting, Saving, Investing, and Other Critical Skills That Will Help Students Build Secure Financial Futures
WASHINGTON – The Obama Administration released a new “educator toolkit” with lesson plans that teachers can use to help students prepare for the upcoming 2011 National Financial Capability Challenge. The Challenge, which will include a voluntary online exam for high school students that begins as of March 7, helps teach young Americans about saving, budgeting, investing, and other important skills critical to building a strong financial future. The highest scoring students on the exam will be recognized through a national awards ceremony in Washington, DC and other high-scorers will receive official award certificates.
“Empowering students with the knowledge they need to make smart financial choices about saving, budgeting, and investing for the future is good for the long-term strength of our economy,” said Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. “It will help ensure that young people have the skills they need to achieve financial security, and that will help us continue to build this recovery on a strong and sustainable foundation.”
“Our students need to graduate high school ready for college and career if they’re going to compete in a global economy,” said U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan. “Incorporating financial literacy, through Treasury’s online educator toolkit or other significant learning materials, will encourage students to make smart long-term investments, such as preparing to pay for college.”
The educator toolkit, which is available online starting today at http://www.challenge.treas.gov/toolkit, covers five core competencies of financial education: earning, spending, saving, borrowing, and protecting against risk. It includes a collection of lesson plans from the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and non-profit organizations that are designed to help teach students important financial skills, such as developing a personal spending plan, balancing checking and savings accounts, understanding the costs of benefits of buying insurance, using credit wisely, minimizing exposure to identity theft, and making smart investments in their future through education.
Additionally, for the first time, this year’s educator toolkit will include interactive online lessons and Spanish-language materials. The toolkit can be used not only to help prepare students for the Challenge’s online exam, but also for year-round classroom instruction on financial capability.
More than 76,000 students and 2,500 educators in all 50 states participated in last school year’s National Financial Capability Challenge. This year’s exam will be available online between March 7 and April 8, 2011. Educators can administer the exam to their students at any time during that window. To register for the Challenge, educators should visit http://www.challenge.treas.gov between now and April 8.
The Challenge is one of many important steps the Obama Administration has taken to help empower Americans through improved financial capability. In November, the Administration unveiled a new coordinated National Strategy for Financial Literacy to help guide the ongoing efforts of the federal government and private organizations to empower Americans with the financial skills they need to strengthen their long-term economic security and stability. Additionally, the Administration established the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability to provide advice on how to maximize the effectiveness of existing private and public sector efforts, and to identify new approaches to increase financial capability.
In November, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, National Credit Union Administration, and U.S. Department of Education announced a new partnership to encourage schools and financial institutions to work together to increase students’ financial capability, access to federally-insured deposit accounts, and savings. And just last month, Treasury launched a pilot program to offer safe, convenient and low-cost financial accounts for the electronic delivery of federal tax refunds to those Americans with limited or no access to traditional banking services.
Valentine’s Day on a Budget
Holidays are notorious for being a call for spending and Valentine’s Day is no exception, but there’s no need to spend buckets of money to empress your honey. Follow these tips and you’ll have a successful Valentine’s Day without blowing your budget.
Check out the oddest of places- The dollar store may not seem like the ideal place to pick up Valentine’s gifts, but you may be in for a big surprise. I went to the dollar store with the intentions of just getting a gift bag, but I found so much more! I bought my Valentine’s cards (that were simple, but sentimental and half the price of regular cards), tissue paper, and some yummy chocolate for my roommates. At the checkout I even spotted single red roses! My roommate and I were in such disbelief that we had to ask and the cashier assured us that the roses were real! In the end, the dollar store may not seem like the first place you would want to start your shopping, but just because the items are inexpensive that doesn’t mean they’re of cheap.
Try the outdoors- If you’re having nice weather, try packing a picnic instead of eating out. You can still have multiple courses without going to a restaurant and paying big bucks for it. Make everything prior to your outing, pack it up and tell your honey that you two are going to go for a little outing. Not only will you get brownie points for surprising her, who wouldn’t want a homemade meal created by the one you love?! Also, if the weather isn’t the best where you’re at, an indoor picnic can be just as romantic! Set out a blanket and some pillows and sit by the fireplace or watch the rain fall.
Here are some super easy recipes to get you started:
Chickpea Salad
California Club Sandwich or Lobster Club Sandwich
Raspberry Cake Bars
Lunch anyone?- If you and your Valentine would rather eat out, lunch time specials allow you to dine for a deal. Restaurants will either throw in a free salad bar or soup before your entrée, or some places offer a two for special that may include an appetizer, entrée and a dessert to share. If dinner is a more feasible option, try looking up places that are offering Valentine’s specials. These can be similar to the midday menu in which they may offer a free dessert or other incentives.
In the end, Valentine’s Day isn’t about the gifts or the deals, but showing the ones closest to you that you care for them. So if nothing else, be sure to say the one phrase that costs nothing by means everything….I love you.
Thrifty Mom
Quick tips and a recipe each week to help save you money!
Thrifty Tip of the Week
Pack your families lunches and for further savings use plastic compartment washable lunch boxes so you aren’t throwing away plastic bags or containers!
Deal of the Week
Large Shrimp $5.99 a lb.
Recipe of the Week
These shrimp rolls are perfect for a quick weeknight meal especially in the summer!
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/shrimp-roll
Motivational Quote of the Week
”The world is a great mirror. It reflects back to you what you are. If you are loving, if you are friendly, if you are helpful, the world will prove loving and friendly and helpful to you. The world is what you are.”
Thomas Dreier,
Author
Action Plan for the Week
Call Debthelper today and get your finances under control!
http://www.debthelper.com
The Recession and Your Kids: The Stress They May be Hiding
The recession is putting stress on families all over the country, but what you may not know is that it is affecting your kids and their behavior.
Although children are supposed to be carefree, seeing the worry and stress of their parents can take a major toll on them. In one Ohio school, ten year old Leah Kehler confided in her teacher about her fears that her family would have to move due to her father being laid off. Another child in that class even went to school with tape holding her broken glasses together.
These situations and many like them are happening everyday in schools and are causing children to behave unusually. Some may act out in school or become more quiet and introverted. Though these behaviors are difficult to observe, there are ways that, as a parent, you can help mend the situation.
Identify the feeling: Since children are not used to feeling so much stress or stress specifically related to home life, help them to identify the feeling. Most children are not even sure what the words stress or anxiety mean, so it is difficult for them to classify an emotion they don’t know the name for. Try asking your child why they may be looking more upset lately and why. Then, help them to understand that this is not the easiest of times, but as a family you will help each other through it and let them know you’re there for support.
Make the time: Sometimes it can be difficult to pick up on your child’s anxiety when you are caught up in your own stress and kids may be hesitant to ask for your time when they see you are surrounded by so much chaos. Make sure to put some time aside everyday to ask about school and friends and then try to delve into deeper issues from there. This works best when you are doing an activity together, such as playing catch or while setting the table for dinner.
Be honest: Though it is not necessary to lay out every detail of the situation, tell kids that you may be eating out less or may not make as many trips to the toy store as usual. It may be difficult for children to understand at first, but if they maintain the same expectations that they had before the recession it will only be harder to keep up with their belief. In addition, money that would be spent on treats could go toward daily necessities, such as groceries.
Encourage teamwork: Some current financial situations may require one or both parents to get an extra job, meaning that kids may have to help more around the house. First, always assign chores that kids can do easily so when finished they are always left with a feeling of accomplishment. Also, try and make chores fun. Organize a team of kids versus adults and have a race. Or try a chore chart and when a chore is done a sticker gets put by your child’s name or the task that they accomplished.
Overall, always reassure your children of your unconditional love for them. Be sure to let them know that you care and have their best interest in mind. This along with the tips above should lead to a happier, less stressful home.
Sources:
The New York Times
Guide to help children cope with the recession
The Hardest Hit Program is Now Accepting Applications
The “hardest hit” program is for unemployed and underemployed homeowners.
The money can be used to make mortgage payments for up to 18 months or to make a delinquent loan current. It goes directly to the lenders and does not need to be paid back unless the home is sold within five years or the homeowner goes into foreclosure.
Those who qualify may receive up to 35-thousand dollars.
For more information click here.
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