Financial Responsibility Curriculum

$aving Our Futures

National Middle School Association recently teamed with America's Promise Alliance to identify 100 middle grades educators to implement and evaluate the $aving Our Futures financial responsibility curriculum created by the Academy for Educational Development with funding from the Peter G. Peterson Foundation. These 100 teachers received a $500 NMSA gift certificate for evaluating the program and submitting an outline of a service-learning project that would engage their students. The ten best project outlines received $1,000 grants to implement their plans.

Congratulations to our Grand Prize Winner!

Tristin Koch and her 8th Grade Social Studies class at Drake Middle School in Arvada, Colorado, won the grand prize with their project, Connecting Generation to Generation, and they will be heading on an all expenses paid class trip to Washington, D.C., to further extend their learning experience.

Applying the financial literacy skills they learned through the curriculum, Ms. Koch's class identified the areas of their community most affected by economic problems. In Arvada, Colorado, senior citizens living in assisted living and retirement communities were hardest hit by the falling economy. As part of their service learning project, the class raised more than $2,000 for local nursing homes by conducting a penny drive and holding a benefit dinner. Also, the class spent a combined 250 hours volunteering at a local nursing home in close proximity to the school. More information on this project including photos, videos, and feedback from students and their community can be found on the class's website at http://sc.jeffco.k12.co.us/education/staff/staff.php?sectionid=27713&.

Congratulations to the ten, $1,000 grant recipients!

LaShawn Allen
Jack H. Skirball Middle School
Los Angles, CA

Liesa Bailey
Irving West–Waverly Shell Rock School District
Waverly, IA

Lisa Booker
St. Matthew School
Gahanna, OH

Stacy Hawthorne
Claggett Middle School
Medina, OH

Becky Hobson
St. Agnes Academy–St. Dominic School
Memphis, TN

Kristen Jensen
William Thomas Middle School
American Falls, ID

Billie Jean Kelly
Clark Moores Middle School
Richmond, KY

Tristin Koch
Drake Middle School
Arvada, CO

Melissa Stolz
RA Jones Middle School
Florence, KY

Rachel Woolbright
Rockwell Charter High School
Eagle Mountain, UT

We would like to thank all of the 100 educators from 37 states who assisted in implementing and evaluating this important curriculum. To download your free copy of the $aving Our Futures curriculum, please visit www.americaspromise.org/financialresponsibility.