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Greenlight, a Fintech company, has launched Greenlight for Classrooms, a free, web-based personal finance library aimed at helping teachers educate students about financial literacy. The library consists of interactive K-12 lessons and teaching materials that are aligned with state and national standards. Teachers across the United States can now access over 100 financial education resources.
According to Greenlight, only 30 states currently require a personal finance course for students, and there is a noticeable gap in financial education. Teens score an average of 64% on the National Financial Literacy Test, which indicates a clear need for accessible and effective financial education. A recent national survey conducted by Greenlight revealed that 97% of teachers believe personal finance education is crucial for their students’ futures. However, personal finance is ranked as the most under-resourced subject in schools, with three out of four teachers stating that students rarely or never learn about personal finance.
Greenlight aims to address this gap in financial education by providing teachers with the necessary resources to teach personal finance in a practical and engaging way. The library includes bite-sized videos, quizzes, activities, discussion topics, and lesson plans tailored to all grade levels from kindergarten to twelfth grade. These resources are mapped to state standards and align with the National Standards for Personal Financial Education, covering topics such as earning, spending, saving, investing, managing credit, and more.
The survey conducted by Greenlight also revealed that teachers are concerned about their students’ financial futures and believe that personal finance is a critical life skill. More than half of the teachers surveyed (58%) stated that students are not prepared to be financially independent adults after graduation, and an equal number of teachers believe that students are not equipped to handle age-appropriate financial situations in their daily lives. Additionally, the teachers expressed a need for more effective school financial education, ranking personal finance as the most under-resourced subject in schools. Teachers cited a lack of time, educational tools, and resources as barriers to teaching personal finance effectively.
Teachers expressed a desire for engaging educational resources such as interactive lesson plans, educational games, and group projects. The survey found that 90% of teachers believe students would learn personal finance best through interactive games.
“Greenlight’s mission has always been focused on empowering young people to learn about money,” said Jennifer Seitz, a director of education at Greenlight. Greenlight for Classrooms aims to support teachers by providing them with the necessary resources to teach personal finance effectively.
Since the pilot program earlier this year, more than 500 teachers have signed up for Greenlight for Classrooms. Stephanie Pennetti, a personal finance teacher, praised the program, stating that the lessons are easy to implement and engaging for her students.
Greenlight for Classrooms expands on the curriculum of Greenlight’s in-app financial literacy game, Level Up. This year, kids and teens have completed over one million personal finance lessons using Level Up, achieving an average score of 88.4% on post-lesson assessments. The subjects covered include spending, saving, earning, investing, and managing credit.
The Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy has praised Greenlight’s efforts to advance financial literacy for young people. They believe that the new Greenlight for Classrooms program has the potential to transform financial education in schools.
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