It was great to run into Julius at a few conferences recently and learn more about the program he has developed at Mt. St. Joseph's. As someone who has advocated and developed personal finance programs at two different schools over the last 20 years at two different schools, Julius has a wealth of experience to share. You will hear him describe the one book that became the cornerstone of his course in the early years. From the power of story-telling to making investing fun and understandable for his students, Julius has many "tricks of the trade" that leave his students well equipped to manage their financial lives. As a constant tinkerer (sound familiar, financial educators?), Julius also shares his go-to resources and websites that he relies on to ensure that his course remains up-to-date and relevant. Oh and if you are a high school basketball fan, you won't want to miss Julius discussing his years as a coach at powerhouse DeMatha High School and the legendary Morgan Wooten. Enjoy!

Details:

• 0:00–1:20: Introduction
• 1:21–3:48: From painting houses to the business world to the classroom
• 3:49–7:27: Paper routes and personal finance
• 7:28–9:21: How Julius built a whole course based on a book
• 9:22–11:47: Teaching students about real life financial trials & tribulations
• 11:48–13:25: Every step towards making a mandatory personal finance course is a victory
• 13:26–15:45: Where his passion for teaching originated
• 15:46–20:34: Julius’s favorite resources to use in his class
• 20:35–25:07: Back to the basics: teaching the ins and outs of investing
• 25:08–26:39: Best thing bought for under $10
• 26:40–27:50: The eighth wonder of the world: compound interest
• 27:51–30:04: His favorite online reading material
• 30:05–31:01: What message Julius wants his students to remember
• 31:02–35:28: Work hard, play hard, and building a rapport with the students
• 35:29–36:06: Conclusion

Background:

• Julius currently teaches at Mt. Saint Joseph High School in Baltimore, MD
• He formerly taught at DeMatha Catholic High School

Favorite online sources:

• CNBC
• MarketWatch
• Kiplinger
• Take Charge Today
• NEFE
• Wall Street Journal
• NGPF
• Brian Page’s material (frequent contributor and NGPF podcast guest) 
• Barbara O’Neill’s (Rutgers)
• NGPF Data Crunch
• NGPF: Ravioli Den (Investing Activity)
• Balloon Game from Take Charge America

Favorite books:

• Get A Financial Life by Beth Kobliner
• How to Make Your Child A Money Genius by Beth Kobliner

Notable quotes: 

• “[Learning financial education] is the basis of surviving out in the real world.”
• “I want to make a difference in [these students’ financial lives]”

About the Authors

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.

Danielle Bautista

Danielle is a native of Southern California and a recent graduate from the University of Maine, where she braved the frigid winters—a feat in and of itself—and earned her Bachelor's degree in International Affairs. She has a passion for working with non-profit organizations and serving populations in underprivileged communities. When Danielle isn't writing NGPF blog posts, spearheading various outreach projects, or managing contests and flash surveys, you can find her doing some sort of outdoor activity, learning a new hobby, or cracking what she thinks are witty puns!