Pear Deck and NGPF’s Accessible Curriculum Partnership Expands with New Templates
As part of the growing call for quality, low- or no-cost financial education curriculum, Pear Deck Learning and nonprofit Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF) have now grown their partnership to deliver high-quality personal finance curriculum through ready-to-teach lessons powered by Pear Deck.
NGPF’s entire Semester Course, its flagship course, is now available through Pear Deck. It joins the NGPF Middle School Course, released on Pear Deck last spring.
We connected with Hannah Rael, NGPF Marketing Communications Manager, to delve into the significance of providing this crucial information to learners across the country.
Meeting a growing need
As of March 2024, 25 states have passed policies to guarantee all public high school students in their state will take a Personal Finance course before graduating. You can see which states have this policy on NGPF’s U.S. Dashboard.
“The U.S. has reached a tipping point in the growing movement in support of financial education for youth,” Rael said.
NGPF was founded on the belief every student deserves high-quality personal finance instruction so they have the tools to build a brighter financial future. The organization provides a free open-source personal finance curriculum and free teacher professional development.
The non-profit is focused on achieving Mission 2030 – the goal that by 2030, all U.S. high schoolers will be guaranteed to take at least one semester-long personal finance course before graduation.
“Partnering with companies like Pear Deck Learning is one more step to making financial education more accessible,” Rael explained.
Why it matters
A recent report found that taking a one-semester course in personal finance results in an average per-student lifetime benefit of approximately $100,000. The report also found the cost of implementing a standalone course can be kept low given the availability of high-quality curricular resources and teacher professional development made available by providers at no or minimal cost.
Students from states requiring a financial education course were found to be more likely to save; less likely to max out their credit cards; more likely to pay off their credit cards in full each month; and less likely to be compulsive buyers.
“While financial literacy will not solve all of the systemic barriers to building wealth, you can’t play the game if you don’t know the rules,” Rael stated. “Having a personal finance class in high school teaches you the rules at a time in life when you can most benefit from compound interest and prevent financial mistakes that may take years or decades to correct.”
Making personal finance…fun?!
When learning happens in a fun and relevant way, students are more likely to retain what they are studying. Designed with diverse learners in mind, Pear Deck caters to students with varying needs and learning styles and engages students in learning and discussion rather than just having them sit and listen to a lecture.
By using NGPF’s Personal Finance Semester Course in Pear Deck, learning personal finance isn't just about absorbing information — it's about actively experiencing and applying it.
Not only do students have a more dynamic and engaging learning experience, but the ready-made decks mean teachers can spend more time thinking about their lesson and implementation instead of setting it all up themselves.
“It’s a win for students, teachers, and advocates of financial education when financial education is widely available in a format that’s easy to use and fun for students,” Rael said. “We’re excited the collaboration with Pear Deck continues to grow.”
Start using the newly added lessons in your classroom today.
