My Classroom is a short NGPF podcast series devoted to supporting the efforts of teachers. Every couple of weeks we speak with different teachers who share timely tips, resources, and teaching strategies that can be implemented immediately into the classroom. This week, we welcome Shawn Healy, Jim O’Connor, and Kimberly Huffman. They will share the approach they take, and the approach of other social studies educators when teaching personal finance. And they do a great job sharing the importance of personal finance for every high school student.

• Shawn Healy, Ph.D., Senior Director, State Policy and Advocacy, leads iCivics’ policy and advocacy work at the state level through the CivXNow Coalition, while overseeing civic education campaigns in several key states. Healy also serves as an adjunct professor in Public Policy at the University of Illinois. Shawn began his career as a social studies teacher at West Chicago Community High School (IL).
• Jim O’Connor is heading into his 28th year of teaching Social Studies at Ohio’s most diverse high school, Princeton City Schools, where he was a past department chair. He is a former recipient of the University of Cincinnati Financial Educator of the Year and currently serves as the President of the Ohio Council on Social Studies. He is also an Air Force veteran, serving in the Ohio Air Force National Guard from 1986-2006.
• Kimberly Huffman is an award-winning educator who has been instructing American Government and Personal Finance at the Wayne County Schools Career Center in Ohio for almost 25 years and was selected as the 2013 Congressional Fellow. She serves in leadership positions for multiple national boards including the Board of Governors for the National Council of Social Studies (NCSS).

Their favorite NGPF activities are: 

• PLAY: The Bean Game
• Workplace Skills
• FinCap Fridays

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Did you find this podcast motivational? If you want to advocate to increase access to financial education at your school, we can help. NGPF’s advocacy resources can help you achieve Gold Standard or Mission 2025 Challenge Grants of $1,000 to $30,000 (see steps #2 and #4 for details about these grant programs).

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About the Author

Brian Page

Making a difference in the lives of students through financial capability is Brian’s greatest passion. He comes to NGPF after fifteen years of public school teaching where he was the ‘11 Ohio Department of Education recipient of a Milken National Educator Award, the CEE Forbes Award winner, and a Money Magazine/CNN "Money Hero". He served on the working group for President Obama's Advisory Council on Financial Capability. He has private school experience as a Trustee for the Cincinnati Country Day School and was a past Ohio Jump$tart President. Brian holds a BBA and M.Ed. When Brian isn’t working alongside his NGPF teammates he is likely spending time with his wife, three children, and dog; hiking, or watching Ohio State football.