Next Generation Personal Finance provides a comprehensive, free high-school personal finance curriculum and serves as a professional development partner. Our aim is to empower teachers in delivering essential money understanding in an engaging and easy-to-grasp manner. Through our customizable and current lessons, we ignite participation and create memorable learning experiences. Our professional development events foster personal connections, facilitate knowledge sharing, and prioritize information that teachers find genuinely valuable.
What is Next Gen Personal Finance
Founded in 2014 by Tim and Jessica Endlich, Next Gen Personal Finance has been dedicated to collaborating with teachers. Their mission is to provide valuable curriculum resources, offer impactful professional development, and advocate for improved access to financial education. In line with its commitment to reach every student, NGPF provides its curriculum and professional development free of charge to schools.
The Next Gen Personal Finance website offers extensive free resources from NGPF and other reliable platforms. It is organized into sections like an arcade with simulations and games, a curriculum browser with units and multiweek pathways on personal finance topics, and a math section with focused activities to build math skills. Resources include videos, discussions, full lessons, and assessments, mostly in Google Docs, Slides, or Sheets for easy download and customization. Teachers also have access to a library of free professional development (PD) resources such as webinars, conferences, and courses.
How Effective is this?
Next Gen Personal Finance offers a finance class like no other. It goes beyond the basics of taxes and bills, diving into the opportunities and challenges of the gig economy and influencer culture. The curriculum emphasizes responsibility, future planning, and decision-making, while also nurturing critical thinking about the complex landscape of finance and wealth. To support this, NGPF provides a wealth of resources, including videos, handouts, and interactive materials, that keep students engaged with current events and thought-provoking discussions.
While following the curriculum step-by-step can feel overwhelming, the user-friendly site allows easy searching and customization of lessons and materials. With the addition of weekly content like FinCap Friday videos and slide decks, incorporating finance, investment, and money discussions becomes a breeze.
The lesson activities foster a collaborative environment that encourages hands-on learning. Students engage with enriching case studies and authentic simulations, honing their financial decision-making skills through well-crafted projects. NGPF excels at presenting complex topics that often elude adults, empowering students with the knowledge and skills needed to forge prosperous futures.
How Can You Teach with this Tool
NGPF (Next Gen Personal Finance) offers a wide range of courses, spanning nine weeks, a semester, or even a full year. However, teachers also have the flexibility to select specific units or incorporate financial lessons into their existing curriculum. Math teachers can leverage math-focused lessons and utilize the Desmos activities, adding real-world applications to their classes. Engage students by assigning activities or group projects that delve deep into crucial financial topics, or initiate thoughtful class discussions on financial success and stability.
The website’s curated collection includes high-quality videos and interactive simulations that students can access. Plus, most of the resources are conveniently stored on Google Drive, allowing for easy customization to suit your class’s requirements. With free teacher accounts, each unit also comes with pre-made assessments for effortless evaluation.
The NGPF blog and social media accounts offer a wealth of fresh content every day. Engage students with the Question of the Day, join in on Math Mondays, and add some excitement with FinCap Friday – a competitive multimedia activity centered around current events. On top of the standard curriculum, you’ll find Mini-Units that explore diverse topics, including philanthropy, cryptocurrency, and racial discrimination in finance.
Benefits of NGPF
- Engaging and relevant curriculum: The NGPF curriculum is meticulously crafted to captivate and resonate with students. Utilizing real-life illustrations and interactive activities, it facilitates comprehension of personal finance principles.
- Covers a wide range of topics: The NGPF curriculum encompasses a vast array of subjects, spanning budgeting, saving, investing, credit, and taxes. This comprehensive coverage ensures that students develop a profound understanding of personal finance.
- Free and accessible: The NGPF curriculum is readily available and accessible to all teachers, effectively facilitating the seamless implementation of personal finance education in classrooms. This accessibility ensures that teachers can effortlessly incorporate this vital knowledge into their instructional plans.
- Professional development resources: NGPF provides a diverse range of professional development resources for educators. These valuable resources not only boost teachers’ confidence in teaching personal finance but also equip them with the necessary tools to foster a positive learning environment for their students.
Teachers interested in utilizing NGPF in their classrooms can explore the NGPF website for comprehensive resources. From curriculum materials and professional development resources to a vibrant teacher community, the website offers a wealth of valuable information.
Conclusion
Next Gen Personal Finance provides teachers with a valuable resource for incorporating personal finance into their classrooms. The curriculum is dynamic, relevant, and comprehensive, covering a diverse range of topics. Additionally, the professional development resources empower teachers to teach personal finance with confidence. As a teacher passionate about financial literacy, I highly recommend exploring NGPF.
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