Thanks to Ami for joining me on the NGPF podcast for the second time (we had to scrap the first one due to a bug in the recording software). No, that’s not a typo in the title but rather a play on Ami’s home state of Maine. Ami teaches at a small school (listen to hear how small the school is), Forest Hills Consolidated in Jackman, and is passionate about getting more financial education to Maine students. She shares the thought process that went into designing her course, how she teaches about careers beyond Jackman and how she implements her favorite project, which students still talk about years later. Enjoy!

Details:

• 0:00~1:21 – Intro
• 1:21~2:03 – Where Ami teaches
• 2:03~8:20 – What motivated Ami to create a personal finance course
• 8:20~11:56 – Top three lessons Ami wants to teach her students
• 11:56~14:38 – How she uses the book “The Millionaire Next Door”
• 14:38~16:31 – Importance of projects in her classroom
• 16:31~19:34 – Challenges of career selection in a rural community
• 19:34~22:39 – Favorite project: her budget simulation
• 22:39~23:05 – A word from our sponsor, Next Gen Personal Finance
• 23:05~24:35 – The results of her budget simulation
• 24:35~28:06 – Paying for college
• 28:06~30:01 – Her efforts to pushing financial literacy statewide
• 30:01~31:13 – Comments from other educators
• 31:13~31:44 – Stocks or index funds?
• 31:44~32:10 – Credit cards in high school?
• 32:10~32:41 – Student debt levels?
• 32:41~33:16 – Best thing purchased under $10?
• 33:16~34:15 – Text to send everyone?
• 34:15~35:03 – Parting thoughts
• 35:03~35:43 – Conclusion

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.