High School Financial Planning Program Becomes Required Course

Situation:
Parents, students, and financial professionals agree that teens need money management skills before they go off to college or join the workforce. Also the National Endowment for Financial Education provides an excellent curriculum—The High School Financial Planning Program—to any high school nationwide that requests it. However, too often high school administrators and teachers become frustrated when there is no room in the day to offer the program to all students. Many times only a very small percentage of the graduating class receives the training if it is offered at all.

Response:

• ISUE Family Resource Management Field Specialists regularly promote the High School Financial Planning Program (HSFPP) to area schools, Extension councils, and parents.
• Several years ago, the Family & Consumer Science teacher from one of the largest high schools in NE Iowa contacted Extension to request information on the HSFPP. She began offering the program as part of her course reaching a small number of students.
• The ISU FRM field specialist asked the local Extension council to become advocates for financial education for high school students, and promoted the HSFPP in newsletters, news releases and in the weekly news column.

Results:

• In 2004, the school board over-rode the administration’s objections and agreed to offer the HSFPP as an exploratory course offered to all seniors in the 2005-2006 school year.
• Again, over the objections of the administration, the board agreed to make the HSFPP a required course for all seniors beginning with the 2006-2007 school year.
• With persistence and community support from ISU Extension, this teacher overcame many road blocks to make the HSFPP available to students who most need the information.

Contact:
Ellen Spurlock
Family Resource Management Specialist
PO Box 336
Manchester, IA 52057
Phone 563-927-4201; FAX: 563-927-3744
Email ejspurlo@iastate.edu

..........more stories....................!