Three local teachers recently received grants from Langley Federal Credit Union to implement and support financial literacy education programs at their schools.
Jamie Norton of York River Academy, Emily Barnes of Queens Lake Middle School and Mike Daly of Williamsburg Christian Academy received $500 each as part of Langley’s teacher grants program.
The grants, which have been awarded annually for nine years, are part of an initiative aimed at helping educate the larger community about financial matters.
Barnes plans to use her grant money to teach her students about using math to solve real programs by putting her students at Queens Lake Middle School into a mock restaurant setting. The class will be given a certain amount of money to spend and will have to pick items from the menu to order, factoring in food tax and an 18 percent tip.
Norton’s grant money will go toward purchasing a class set of the book Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, which will set the foundation for a class discussion on financial prosperity in America.
Additionally, Norton plans to buy board games, such as Cashflow and Monopoly, to teach students about concepts like investing and budgeting. Students will also be given the chance to participate in the Stock Market Game, an online tool that allows students to invest in and witness the effects of daily fluctuations in the stock market.
Daly was awarded a grant in order to purchase a class set of Economic Education for Consumers, from which his students at Williamsburg Christian Academy will learn about identifying strategies to carry out a financial plan for retirement. Grant money will also be used to purchase calculators.
A total of 22 grants were awarded to teachers in the communities served by Langley Federal Credit Union, totaling $11,000 given to support financial literacy education.
“It is so important to provide students with the basics of financial management,” said Langley President and CEO Tom Ryan. “A good foundation gives young people the opportunity to develop disciplined saving and spending habits which will serve them well throughout their lives. We applaud all of the efforts these educators have made with these programs.”
