Through their partnerships with Girls Inc.; YMCA of Greater Boston; Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston; South Shore Bank; Boston Children’s Hospital; State Street Corporation, and other companies, organizations, and school districts, they can reach a diverse audience throughout the state.
In a recent report about financial literacy, Massachusetts was among nine states that received a failing grade. This doesn’t come as a surprise to residents, as there are no financial literacy requirements, curriculum available for schools, and no associated budget.
There has been a really strong response from the community. Many of the schools, nonprofits, and financial institutions in the state recognize the need for this type of education. They no longer want to wait for legislation and are determined to do what they can to improve the state’s rating. They began to think creatively about ways to offer financial literacy programs.
The Money Experience personal finance program is a simulator and courses that help teach a new generation about how their life choices can have a lasting effect on their finances and their quality of life. The curriculum is aimed at helping them to see a broader picture of the way critical decisions regarding finances are processed by the newest generation of adults by allowing the user to test causes and effects. It will allow them to see how the life choices they make will impact them both economically and overall. Money Experience is setting the way for the next generation of adults to be prepared with important information so that they can make educated decisions about their finances.
This summer, Money Experience worked with the YMCA of Greater Boston. They offered simulations at the Oak Square YMCA in Brighton and the Parkway Community YMCA in West Roxbury. The Greater Boston community benefits from these programs because they focus on youth development, social responsibility, and healthy living. This is how the Money Experience aligns with the nonprofit.
They also partnered with Canton Co-operative Bank to teach students of Canton High School how to be successful with money. The bank felt that this was a great opportunity for them to get involved in a community initiative that was in line with what they have been attempting to do for some time now.
An initiative with South Shore Bank is introducing the Money Experience to high school students across South Shore. Students will see how the decisions that they make today can impact their long-term financial health. The schools that are preparing to take part in this initiative are Braintree High School, East Bridgewater High School, Hingham High School, North Quincy High School, East Bridgewater High School, Hingham High School, Quincy High School, Weymouth High School, Stoughton High School, Norwell High School, and Pembroke High School.
A lot of organizations and schools will benefit from the Money Experience offered throughout Massachusetts.