Grade three to 12 students will have access to programs designed to improved financial literacy and prepare them for life after school.
Through grant partnerships with Enriched Academy and Junior Achievement, Alberta Education is enhancing financial literacy in classrooms across the province.
“Financial literacy is an essential skill our children need to succeed. The Enriched Academy pilot and Junior Achievement expansion give school authorities and teachers more program options this fall to choose from to ensure students achieve essential learning outcomes,” said the Minister of Education, Adriana LaGrange.
Enriched Academy and Junior Achievement have established programming that is aligned with the provincial curriculum and can be delivered in both rural and urban communities.
Enriched Academy will pilot an online financial education program for students in Grade 10 to 12 through a $175,000 grant, during the 2020-21 school year that will include teachers and up to 4,000 students.
“We are excited to help empower teachers across Alberta to help students learn these essential life skills to manage their money. Given the economic uncertainty today, there has never been a more critical time for all of us to understand saving, budgeting, and investing. I want to commend the Alberta government and the educators involved in taking such a proactive approach toward teaching financial literacy,” said the President and co-founder of Enriched Academy, Kevin Cochran.
The Enriched Academy pilot will have in-person training and resources for teachers and include interactive bilingual online courses, tools, webinars, and live events for students and teachers.
Enriched Academy is a Canadian organization that provides financial education to more than 100,000 people of all ages through online courses, coaching, and live events.
Junior Achievement is providing a $200,000 grant which will enable the Junior Achievement’s Southern Alberta and Northern Alberta chapters to collaborate and provide 4,500 students with hands-on experiential financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship education.
During the 2020-21 school year, Junior Achievement will serve 49,000 students from grades three to 12.
“Junior Achievement is pleased to receive this support from the government to increase financial literacy education to students across Alberta. Junior Achievement has worked hard to provide experiential entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and work readiness training in this province as a community-driven charity for over 60 years. This funding will support Junior Achievements continued efforts to expand its reach so more students in rural and Indigenous communities can develop skills that are vital to thriving in our modern global economy,” said the CEO of Junior Achievement Southern Alberta, Melissa From.
For the expansion to be possible, Junior Achievement will collaborate with community organizations, volunteers, and employees in 120 communities.
