Mar 20, 2020

NGPF Documentary: The Most Important Class You Never Had [Updates]

We've added three bonus videos from Ohio, Utah and Wisconsin which you can find on our documentary webpage that feature these teachers and their students:

  • Brian Page: Reading High School (OH)
  • Joel Chrisler of Sauk Prairie High School (WI)
  • Karsten Walker and Cole Kelley of Alpine School District (UT)

Key videos:

Details on the documentary here: 

[Part 1] 0:35 - 1:54 Introduction

[Part 2] 1:55 - 5:22 Winooski High School (VT); Courtney Poquette brings financial education to her students who bring those lessons home to their immigrant families 

[Part 3] 5:23 - 8:54 Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts (FL): Brett Burkey teaches the dangers of consumerism and instant gratification to students in West Palm Beach

Part 4] 8:55 - 12:33  "MissBeHelpful" Financial YouTuber & Educator (NY), Latina educator, Yanely Espinal rises from poverty and embraces social media to reach an underserved audience

[Part 5] 12:34 - 17:26 Rhinelander High School (WI); Patrick Kubeny teaches teens in the Wisconsin Northwoods the value of saving for a financially uncertain future. Includes footage from statewide Finance and Investment Bowl. 

[Part 6] 17:27 - 21:52 Sharyland High School Student (TX); Cultural challenges with money are addressed by a consumer science teacher, Amanda Medina, in a minority majority school district in a South Texas border town 

[Part 7] 21:53 - 26:06 Elizabethtown High School (KY); Teacher-Advocate Alex Todd unites two state politicians from opposing parties to pass sweeping, state-wide legislation for personal finance education. 

[Part 8] 26:07 - 30:48 Utah state leaders discuss what has made them national leader in financial education; includes inspiring story of how personal finance teacher, Angela Short, pulled her own family from financial ruin as a direct result of teaching this course.

[Part 9] 30:49 - 34:24 City as School (NY); Educator Tony Montgomery introduces financial lessons to students in an alternative high school focused on real-world internships 

[Part 10] 34:25 - 36:55 Momentum builds to increase access to personal finance courses to all high school students (Mission: 2030)

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

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