Children's Financial Literacy - Financial Adventure, LLC
Awards and trophies are often presented to children who excel in sports, but usually, not for academics or financial literacy. We've incorporated various rewards into the Financial Adventure program. It just makes learning all the more fun.
St. Cloud, Minnesota (PRWEB) April 02, 2015
Christine Panek, a central Minnesota certified public accountant, wants children and teenagers to avoid making wrong decisions that lead to a lifetime of financial trouble. This is why Panek created Financial Adventure©, a hands-on, subscription-based financial learning program for youth. The program went “live” at http://www.FinancialAdventure.com on March 15, just in time for April Financial Literacy Month and just as results of a national financial literacy test were being compiled.
According to the Financial Educators Council’s results released on March 25, 46 percent of over 8,400 participants, ages 15 to 18 years old, failed its National Financial Literacy Test of 30 questions, scoring 60 percent or lower.
“In my over 20 years of accounting practice, I’d see business owners who were lacking the knowledge of basic financial concepts,” says Panek, who serves clients in the St. Cloud metro and surrounding areas. “Financial basics are not always taught to our kids in schools. You can find information on the Internet, but it’s unstructured, and it takes time to research what you want to teach your children. I decided in the summer of 2014 to design a program for busy parents––everything they’d need to know in order to share it with their children on a monthly basis––and build a series of lessons for kids and teenagers that were as rewarding as they were educational.”
Financial Adventure is a monthly educational program designed to help kids and teens learn about earning, saving, spending, and sharing money. Parents order the fee-based subscription service, or gift subscription, online. Then, every month, their household receives a packet of age-appropriate learning activities that take the kids and teenagers on a Financial Adventure Journey about banking, checking and savings accounts, credit and debt, the economy, and more. An answer sheet and tips for adults is also included, making discussions easy to share.
The website also offers various services at no charge that speak to parents about activities they can do with their children to promote financial literacy. Parents may register for these Financial Adventure Activities, delivered via email. A certificate of achievement is also included.
Panek also teaches her proprietary Financial Adventure Classes at various locations throughout the area. However, the curriculum is available for purchase and can be taught by any professional interested in investing in the future of our youth––banking and credit union professionals, certified public accountants, educators, financial advisors, and other professionals.
The “Financial Adventure” journeys are designed for three age groups. Piggy’s Financial Adventure is for children five to seven years old. Kids & Teens Financial Adventure is geared to kids from eight to eighteen. Teens Advanced Financial Adventure challenges youth 13 to 18 years old.
All participants receive rewards after completing a monthly journey. Once a child has completed an entire year of the Financial Adventure Journey, he or she receives a rosette ribbon (Piggy’s Financial Adventure), or a medal (Kids & Teens), or a trophy (Advanced).