Let’s Talk About Financial Literacy

Here at Pandemic Professors we know just how important financial literacy is. So many people, of all ages, can lack the foundational skills needed for successful and effective financial management. As a result, we believe our free tutoring services should extend beyond the standard subjects like English, math and science. To date we have hosted two Financial Literacy workshops geared towards high school and college grade students, focused on Personal Finance and Investing. Due to their success, we are extending our curriculum with a 5-week series geared towards Grades 6–8!

The Importance of Financial Literacy

Kids build awareness for money very early in life, but this does not always translate to the skills they will need to manage money effectively. Financially literacy helps students learn key skills, including math, as well as concepts like credit scores, paying off or avoiding debt, and understanding how transactions work. Financial literacy lays the groundwork to help students make responsible financial decisions.

Reports show that 86% of Americans believe financial literacy classes should be a mandatory part of K-12 education, but unfortunately, many students still lack the opportunity to take these classes in school. This gap in education has significant consequences. A 2018 study found that 53% of adults in the US said thinking about their financial situation made them anxious. At Pandemic Professors, we are working to bridge this gap. Improving financial literacy education will allow students, and their parents or guardians, the tools they need to be successful and to feel confident managing their finances.

And if those are not reason enough, the statistics are staggering. More than 20% of renters ages 18 to 24 overspend their income by $100 or more on a monthly basis. In addition, people born between 1980 and 1984 carry, on average, $5,689 more credit card debt than their parents did at their age. People in this age range are also paying off their debt at a dramatically lower rate than their parents did, meaning that many of these young people will never pay off their credit card debt.

Our Host

Mark Bartley will be leading the workshops. He has a Bachelor of Science in Finance and over 20 years of experience in insurance and financial services. He currently works with State Farm. We are so grateful to Mark for offering his expertise and time to host these free courses.

What To Expect

Students can expect to participate in weekly sessions over a five-week period. Classes will be geared towards Grades 6–8. Each class will be held at 3:30pm PST / 6:30pm ET, and will organized as follows:

• Week 1: Thursday May 13, EARNING
• Week 2: Tuesday May 18, SAVING
• Week 3: Thursday May 20, SPENDING
• Week 4: Thursday June 3, CREDIT
• Week 5: Thursday June 10, PROTECTING

Students can expect to learn the ins-and-outs of each topic, and will take part in interactive activities and Q&A sessions with Mark. Families are also welcome to attend these sessions and students are not required to be in grades 6–8 to attend. The first session is coming up and begins on May 13th. To register, or if you know someone who might benefit from our workshop, please visit tinyurl.com/panprof-finlit

Written By: Irfan Jeddy