NAF and Next Gen Personal Finance are excited to announce a new partnership that will increase access to personal finance education for tens of thousands of students in under-invested communities nationwide who attend NAF Academies of Finance - small, focused learning communities within existing public high schools. 

This partnership supports NAF’s work to address the economic and social disparities that have marginalized too many students in this country with NGPF’s open source, high-quality, and up-to-date personal finance curricula and free professional development for teachers. 

By using NGPF materials and training as an approved program of study, NAF Academy of Finance teachers can spend more time teaching and building relationships with their students and less time writing ongoing curriculum updates to stay ahead of the constantly evolving field of finance.

“We are thrilled to embark on this new partnership with NGPF. A big part of being Future Ready is financial literacy and having access to personal finance education is an investment that will pay off for life,” said NAF CEO, Lisa Dughi. “NAF students and educators have a lot to gain from these offerings and will build many important skills for their next steps in high school and beyond.”

NAF Personal Finance teachers will use NGPF’s semester-long Personal Finance and Financial Algebra course curricula, which are aligned to national standards. Additionally, they will participate in NGPF Professional Development (PD) opportunities, which include Virtual PD, On-Demand modules, and 10-hour intensive Certification Courses in specific finance topics.  

“We are excited about the opportunity to share our curriculum and professional development opportunities with NAF’s Academies of Finance and their networks,” said NGPF Co-Founder, Tim Ranzetta. “Personal finance education aligns so well with NAF’s commitment to prepare students for the future.” 

Research shows that having a personal finance education has beneficial impacts, including improved credit scores and student loan decisions, as well as reducing the usage of payday loans. 

Eighty-eight percent of parents want schools to teach personal finance, but only 24 percent currently do. In communities serving a high percentage of Black and Hispanic students and those serving under-resourced students, access to financial education is only 5 percent. 

For the 2021-2022 school year, more than 30,000 students participated in 180 NAF Academies of Finance across the nation. Of those students, 85 percent were females and/or ethnic minorities. Ninety-eight percent of seniors in NAF Academies graduated, with 87 percent planning to go to college.  Additionally, NAF academies focus on other growing industries, including hospitality & tourism, information technology, engineering, and health sciences.

About NAF:

NAF is a national nonprofit organization that transforms the high school experience to prepare students for college, career, and future success. NAF’s educational design is uniquely comprehensive in its approach to skills development, enabling students of all backgrounds to participate in a meaningful education and gives businesses the opportunity to shape America’s future workforce by transforming the learning environment to integrate STEM infused, career-relevant curricula and work-based learning experiences, including internships.

NAF has grown from one NAF Academy of Finance in New York City to hundreds of academies across the country focusing on growing industries including finance, hospitality & tourism, information technology, engineering, and health sciences; and support programs of study that are aligned with the National Career Clusters Framework.

During the 2021-22 school year, over 120,000 students attended 618 NAF academies across 35 states, plus DC, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. In 2021, NAF academies reported 99% of seniors graduated with 87% of graduates planning to go to college. For more information, please visit: http://naf.org/.

About the Author

Hannah Rael

As NGPF's Marketing Communications Manager, Hannah (she/her) helps spread the word about NGPF's mission to improve the financial lives of the next generation of Americans.