Why Financial Literacy Should Be a Required Subject (Because Adulting is Hard Enough Without Being Broke)
Okay, let's be real, high school is already a whirlwind of awkward moments, questionable fashion choices, and trying to figure out how to survive on a diet of cafeteria food and vending machine snacks. But you know what makes "adulting" even harder? Trying to navigate the world of money when you have the financial literacy of a goldfish.
Seriously, why is it that we spend years dissecting Shakespearean sonnets and memorizing the periodic table, but no one teaches us how to do taxes, create a budget, or avoid falling into a credit card black hole? It's like sending someone out into the wilderness with a map but no compass – they might have a general idea of where they want to go, but they're probably going to end up hopelessly lost (and possibly eaten by a bear).
The Virginia (Financial) Wilderness
Here in the great Commonwealth of Virginia, we're actually making some decent progress on this front. Virginia requires all high school students to take a course in economics and personal finance. 1 Give yourselves a pat on the back, Virginians! But even with this requirement, there's always room for improvement. We need to make sure these courses are engaging, relevant, and actually teach students the skills they need to thrive in the real world (like how to avoid becoming a meme about avocado toast and crippling student loan debt).
NGPF to the Rescue!
Thankfully, organizations like Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF) are on a mission to make financial literacy a reality for all students. They're like the financial superheroes we need (but probably don't deserve). They provide teachers with free, high-quality resources, professional development, and a whole lot of support to make teaching personal finance awesome (yes, it's possible!). They're basically the Avengers of financial literacy, except instead of fighting Thanos, they're battling financial ignorance (which, let's face it, is probably an even tougher foe).
How to Make it Happen (Because Complaining on the Internet Only Gets You So Far)
So, how do we make financial literacy a required subject everywhere? Here's the game plan:
Spread the Word: Talk to your friends, family, teachers, and even your pet goldfish about the importance of financial education. The more people who know about it, the better.
Channel Your Inner Lobbyist: Contact your local and state representatives and let them know that you want financial literacy to be a priority. Don't be afraid to get a little passionate!
Support Organizations Like NGPF: Donate, volunteer, or just spread the word about the amazing work they're doing.
Become a Financial Literacy Rockstar: Learn as much as you can about personal finance and share your knowledge with others. You can even start your own blog or YouTube channel (just don't forget to cite your sources).
Together, we can make financial literacy a reality for all students. Because let's be honest, no one wants to end up on a reality show about people who live in vans down by the river because they didn't know how to budget.
