ED 262 KCKCC Sp '24

Financial Literacy Month is recognized annually in Canada in November,[1] and National Financial Literacy Month was recognized in the United States in April 2004,[2] in an effort to highlight the i…

Via Tom D'Amico (@TDOttawa)

Via Tom D'Amico (@TDOttawa)

Jacqueline Prester was a self-proclaimed hustler in middle school. Mowing lawns, babysitting—she took the initiative to earn her own money. But she was also a responsible moneymaker, using the envelope system to budget every cent before she knew it was an actual budgeting strategy. Back then, her friends rolled their eyes when she tried to share her financial savvy.

Fast forward two decades and Prester is a popular business and technology teacher at Mansfield High School in Massachusetts, working to give students real-life financial skills. Only this time her audience is keen to learn. (Her Personal Finance classes always reach their 28 student capacity.)

Students are learning about personal finance, but not just because that's the name of the class. They're making it personal.

Prester’s passion is infectious, and the content she chooses—like Pathway To Financial Success created by Discovery Education and Discover—immerses students in authentic lessons with videos, interactive modules and real-world connections.
Pathway To Financial Success Video: Being Financially Responsible

EdSurge caught up with Prester to find out how she packs her classes with willing learners and to uncover her secret to finding compelling financial literacy content. She also shared how and why she helped pass a new Massachusetts bill focused on financial literacy.

Via John Evans