The next post is one in a series of inspiring stories from NGPF’s Gold Standard Challenge Grant Program, which encourages high schools and districts to commit to taking ALL students in personal finance before graduation. Learn more here and apply for your $2,500 to $30,000 Gold Standard Challenge Grant before the August 31, 2022 deadline.

About today’s guest author

Jennifer Lehmann is a teacher at H. Frank Carey High School in Franklin Square, New York. Their school district received the 161st-165th Gold Standard Challenge scholarships. Here is Jennifer describing H. Frank Carey High’s journey to the gold standard.

Describe a rough timeline for how you and/or your colleagues have been able to advocate for personal finance to become a graduating requirement in your school/district. How long did it take? What were the key progress milestones?

In November 2019, I attended an NGPF conference through LIBTA and learned about the Gold Standard Challenge. This conference was followed by a short discussion about the Gold Standard Challenge and making financial literacy mandatory. Due to COVID, we have not continued that conversation. In November 2021 there was a discussion with the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent where I presented a proposal to mandate financial literacy and both were very open to the idea. We acted quickly to give the class a mandate and in February 2022 it was presented and approved by the Education Council.

What challenges have you encountered in your pursuit of making personal finance a graduate requirement, and what solutions have you found to these challenges?

I did not encounter any challenge as our entire school community is very much in favor of mandating personal finance and understands the importance of providing students with financial literacy.

What/who were the “catalysts for change” that made your efforts successful?

My “catalysts for change” were Dr. James Grossane, Superintendent/Dr. Taryn Johnson, Deputy Superintendent of Curriculum/Sewanhaka CHSD Board of Education

This post Mission 2030 Guest Post: Jennifer Lehmann attended an NGPF conference and came back to school with a plan

was original published at “https://www.ngpf.org/blog/advocacy/mission-2030-jennifer-lehmann-attended-ngpf-conference-and-came-back-school-with-plan/”