By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
HEIGHTS — Westwood North Academy in the Westwood Community School District is one of 500 high schools to receive a Jackson Charitable Foundation grant to teach personal finance curriculum.
Students attending in-person classes at the academy began taking the course this year learning how to budget for emergencies, avoid debt, and invest in the future.
The grant provided online videos through the streaming service and physical workbooks to go along with the course so students have the information for reference.
Westwood North Academy Social Studies teacher Shane Williams is teaching the curriculum on a smaller scale due to COVID-19 to the 25 students enrolled in the course.
The district decided to have remote and in-person learning for families to choose from.
Students attend the class two days a week since Westwood has half of the school population physically attend classes on Monday and Tuesday or Thursday and Friday with only teachers in buildings on Wednesdays.
Williams said the course was not made mandatory but that 80 percent of the in-person learning students wanted to participate. Under normal circumstances the course would be 90 days but instead is currently going to run throughout the first semester ending Jan. 22.
The course will be offered during the second semester which ends with the school year.
Ramsey Education’s Foundation is the personal finance curriculum being taught to students thanks to Jackson Charitable Foundation’s $1 million contribution giving 40,000 high school students access.
Dave Ramsey, is a personal finance expert who has a seven-step program which outlines how to be financially responsible. He created a curriculum for adults through his university and then one for students as well.
“We were really lucky to receive the grant,” Williams said. “It’s a fantastic program for anyone of any age for anyone to live a debt-free life and budget to handle money and save for retirement. The program is also great because it essentially works for anyone despite yearly income.”
Williams had been in contact with the digital group who runs Ramsey’s program six months prior to applying for the grant this summer. He was interested in the grant and got a quote, which the district was in favor of but couldn’t pay for.
Williams stayed in contact with the representative who emailed Williams about the Jackson Charitable Foundation grant since Westwood North Academy would be a good applicant for it.
After receiving the news the academy was selected, it was provided with resources and access to curriculum for the full 2020-21 school year.
“This is the first year we have the curriculum and I would like to run it for each kid, each semester for all four years,” Williams said. “The course is taught along with economics class but also run separately. It’s the foundation of what I am looking to do in our school.”
Williams said he wants to add mentorship, job shadowing and trade programs for students at the academy, giving them more opportunities and experiences.
“Anything that will allow our kids to gradate and be career ready is what I have been pushing for the last couple years,” he said. “That would give the students exposure to different fields and provide more elective course choices.”
For more information on the curriculum go to www.ramseyeducation.com.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected])