Education leaders discuss financial literacy for New Hampshire students | CloseUp

WELCOME BACK TO CLOSE UP. FINANCIAL ILLITERACY COST AMERICANS MORE THAN $243 BILLION IN 2024. THAT COMES FROM AN NFCC SURVEY. AND ON AN INDIVIDUAL LEVEL, THAT MEANS RESEARCHERS FOUND THAT BREAKS DOWN TO ABOUT $1,000 OR SO PER PERSON PER YEAR IN THIS COUNTRY. THE MANCHESTER SCHOOL DISTRICT IS PILOTING A PROGRAM TO WORK ON THOSE KEY SKILLS WITH KIDS. JOINING US THIS MORNING TO DISCUSS IS FORMER STATE SENATOR LOU D’ALLESANDRO AND MANCHESTER SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT DOCTOR JENNIFER CAMILLE. THANK YOU TO BOTH OF US FOR JOINING THIS MORNING. APPRECIATE IT. GREAT TO BE HERE. AND WHAT A GREAT TOPIC. LOU, I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU’RE HEAVILY INVESTED IN MAKING A SUCCESS. SO THIS IS ALL BASED AROUND WHAT’S CALLED STICK BALL. CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO FOLKS WHAT THAT IS? STICK BALL IS THE KEY. STICK BALL IS A GAME THAT USED TO PLAY WHEN YOU WERE A KID. YOU KNOW, USING A LITTLE BIT OF A BAT AND A HALF BALL AND PLAYING BASEBALL IN THE STREET, AND THE PERSON WHO’S THE CREATOR OF THIS SOFTWARE, A YOUNG MAN BY THE NAME OF PAUL BONAPARTE, IS FROM THE NORTH END OF BOSTON, AND HE WAS THE ORIGINATOR. AND HE CAME UP WITH THE NAME STICK BALL BECAUSE IT WAS AN ATTRACTIVE NAME THAT KIDS COULD UNDERSTAND. VERY SIMPLISTIC STICKBALL. WHAT DOES IT MEAN? I CAN LEARN SOMETHING, I CAN PLAY IT. IT’S EASY TO PLAY. IT’S EASY TO GET TOGETHER WITH. SO STICK BALL WAS THE NAME THAT WAS ADOPTED FOR THE SOFTWARE AND FINANCIAL LITERACY. STICKBALL. WE CREATED A SYNERGISTIC RELATIONSHIP WHICH WOULD MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY. AND WE BROUGHT THE IDEA TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, SAID, GEEZ, FINANCIAL LITERACY IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT INGREDIENT. WE’VE GOT TO HAVE IT. IT’S PART OF THE CURRICULUM NOW FOR FOR SCHOOLS. WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO PILOT A PROGRAM FOR US? WE’LL GO OUT AND RAISE THE MONEY FOR THE SOFTWARE, AND YOU GIVE US THE STUDENTS. WE PILOT THE PROGRAM AND ACTUALLY INTRODUCE THE REAL FINANCIAL LITERACY TO KIDS. SO THE SUPERINTENDENT WAS VERY, VERY AMENABLE TO IT. I WENT TO BELLWETHER CREDIT UNION, TALKED TO BELLWETHER BECAUSE OF THEIR COMMUNITY COMMITMENT TO OBVIOUSLY FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND SAID, LISTEN, THIS WOULD HELP THE KIDS. THIS WOULD HELP YOU. THIS WOULD HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE. WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO FUND IT? AND AS A RESULT, THEY CAME UP WITH THE FUNDING AND THE PILOT PROGRAM IS IN PLACE AND WITH THE WITH THE AID OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. IT’S A GOLD MACHINE. WELL, SO, DOCTOR CAMILLE, THIS IS FOR FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS RIGHT NOW IS THE PILOT PROGRAM SET OVER FOR, WHAT, 170 STUDENTS OR SO. SO WHAT EXACTLY ARE THE KIDS DOING WITH THIS PROGRAM? SO THEY’RE EXPLORING IT. AND WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT STICKBALL IN PARTICULAR IS IT’S DYNAMIC. SO WE OUR TEACHERS ARE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT, GET FEEDBACK FROM STUDENTS, SHARE IT BACK WITH THE STICKBALL CREW, AND THEY MODIFY AS WE GO. SO WHAT’S REALLY INTERESTING TO US IS HOW DOES IT HOW DOES IT REALLY CONNECT TO WHAT OUR STUDENTS ARE LOOKING FOR AND THE NEEDS WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE’RE ADDRESSING? AS FAR AS FINANCIAL LITERACY GOES? AND SO, LOU, WHEN IT COMES TO FINANCIAL LITERACY, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE FOR THE KIDS? I MEAN, BECAUSE WE’RE TALKING ABOUT MIDDLE SCHOOLERS. SO HOW ARE WE INTRODUCING THESE CONCEPTS, TALKING ABOUT THE BASICS OF WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW, WHAT SHOULD YOU BE EQUATED WITH? WHAT ABOUT A BANK? WHAT ABOUT A WHAT ABOUT A LOAN? HOW TO HOW TO INVEST, HOW TO HOW TO SEARCH, SEARCH OUT ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT FINANCES. YOU KNOW, THE OLD DAYS WE USED TO START A CHRISTMAS CLUB $0.25 A WEEK OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE. THAT WAS THE BASIS OF OUR FINANCIAL LEARNING. IT’S MORE COMPLEX TODAY. THERE ARE MANY MORE THINGS AVAILABLE. AND AS I SAID, WITH THE HELP OF BELLWETHER, WE’RE BRINGING WE’RE BRINGING THIS FORWARD AND WE’RE BRINGING REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE TO THESE YOUNGSTERS, AND WE’RE DOING IT IN TWO LANGUAGES. WE’RE DOING IT IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH. BECAUSE, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE EIGHT MINORITY SCHOOLS IN THE CITY OF MANCHESTER. THAT MEANS THE POPULATION OF HISPANIC AND AND BLACKS IS GREATER THAN THE WHITE POPULATION. SO YOU NEED ANOTHER LANGUAGE. AND WE’VE ADDRESSED THAT WITH THE HELP OF THE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE FROM FROM THE SCHOOLS. WE HAVE DESIGNED A PROGRAM THAT UNIQUELY FITS THE BODY THAT WE’RE TEACHING IT TO. WE’RE TEACHING THEM ABOUT WHAT DO YOU DO WITH MONEY? HOW DO YOU INVEST MONEY? HOW DO YOU GET A CHECKBOOK? WHAT’S A CHECK? WHAT’S A CREDIT CARD? HOW DO YOU GO AFTER HELP? IN TERMS OF I TAUGHT A COURSE AT KENNETT HIGH SCHOOL AT CONWAY, NEW HAMPSHIRE IN 1961, AND I TAUGHT GENE CHANDLER, WHO LATER BECAME THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. I TAUGHT HIM HOW TO DO HIS INCOME TAX. ALL RIGHT, BECAUSE NOBODY KNEW HOW TO DO ANYTHING. AND THAT’S WHAT WE’RE DOING HERE. YET IT’S MANY, MANY YEARS LATER. BUT THE GAP IS EVEN GREATER TODAY THAN IT WAS THEN BECAUSE OF THE COMPLEXITIES OF THE FINANCES OF OF THE WORLD. SO WE’RE GOING TO MAKE IT BETTER. WE’RE GOING TO MAKE IT EASIER. WE’RE GOING TO MAKE IT SOMETHING THAT’S MEANINGFUL AND VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO YOUR SUCCESS AS AS A STUDENT, BUT ALSO AS AN ADULT. AND WE’RE GOING TO INTRODUCE THIS TO RETIREES WHO HAVE TO PLAN FOR THEIR FUTURE. WELL, SO IT’S INTERESTING THAT YOU SAY THAT BECAUSE THERE’S ACTUALLY A STUDY DONE BY THE AMERICAN BANKING ASSOCIATION CAME OUT, FOUND THE PLURALITY OF CONSUMERS, 38% LEARNED ABOUT MONEY AND FINANCIAL CONCEPTS FROM THEIR FAMILY. ONLY 15% SAID THEY LEARNED THE MOST ABOUT IT FROM SCHOOL. BUT DOCTOR CAMILLE WAS TALKING ABOUT IT IS WAY MORE COMPLEX NOW. THERE’S MUCH MORE TO IT WHEN IT COMES TO SAVING AND INVESTING AND FIGURING OUT YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURE. SO DOES THIS NEED TO BECOME MORE OF THE CURRICULUM AS WE MOVE FORWARD? IT SURE DOES. AND WE’RE LOOKING AT IT FROM OUR LITTLES ALL THE WAY THROUGH OUR RETIREES. AND SO WHEN WE LOOKED AT THIS TOOL, ONE OF THE INITIAL SPARKS THAT WE HAD WAS, HOW CAN WE TAILOR THIS TO GET KIDS? THE LITTLEST OF THE LITTLES TALKING ABOUT MONEY, TALKING ABOUT BEING FINANCIALLY LITERATE ALL THE WAY UP THROUGH OUR RETIREES? HOW DO WE HELP THEM PLAN FOR RETIREMENT? HOW DO WE GIVE THEM TOOLS OR ACCESS TO RESOURCES IN THE COMMUNITY TO BETTER SERVE THEM AS THEY GO INTO THAT NEXT PHASE OF THEIR LIFE? WHAT’S REALLY INTERESTING ABOUT THIS TOOL IS THAT DYNAMIC ABILITY FOR US TO REALLY TAILOR IT TO THE NEEDS WE SEE WITHIN OUR DISTRICT AND THINK BOTH KIDS AND ADULTS. SO WE’RE REALLY THINKING BROAD HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO APPLY THIS ONCE WE TAKE ALL THE INFORMATION FROM THE PILOT, WE’LL BRING THAT BACK TO OUR BOARD FOR APPROVAL AND HOPEFULLY NEXT STEPS. SO YOU COULD SEE POTENTIALLY A SITUATION WHERE THIS APP BECOMES AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE WELL BEYOND JUST THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ITSELF. WELL, YEAH, FOR OUR DISTRICT, IT WOULD BE WITHIN OUR, OUR STAFF AND OUR STUDENTS. BUT I DO SEE THE APPLICATION QUITE, QUITE VAST FOR THE FUTURE. AND LOU, I WAS CURIOUS AS WELL. YOU MENTIONED THE FACT THAT THIS IS REALLY SETTING PEOPLE UP FOR LIFE. YES. WHY IS IT THAT WE NEED TO TEACH THESE CORE FOUNDATIONAL THINGS NOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY’RE REALLY, REALLY YOUNG, SAY, MIDDLE SCHOOLERS? BECAUSE THE THINGS YOU LEARN NOW ARE THE THINGS YOU CARRY FORWARD FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. THE MOST MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCES TAKE PLACE IN THE IN THE EARLY YEARS. REMEMBER, IF YOU’RE NOT, IF YOU’RE NOT READING AT GRADE LEVEL BY THE THIRD, THE THIRD GRADE, YOU NEVER CATCH UP. SO IF YOU’RE LEARNING EARLIER, YOU’RE RETAINING. AND THROUGH THAT RETENTION, YOU’RE BECOMING MORE RESPONSIBLE CITIZEN AND MORE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR LIFESTYLE AND WHAT YOU DO, AND CERTAINLY WHAT YOU DO DEPENDS UPON YOUR EARNINGS, HOW YOU INVEST YOUR EARNINGS, HOW YOU SAVE YOUR EARNINGS, HOW THOSE EARNINGS WORK FOR YOU. AND THIS PROGRAM THAT WE’RE OFFERING. THE SCHOOLS COULD BE ADJUSTED AT ANY TIME, ANY THE SCHOOL SEES SOMETHING THAT THEY THINK COULD ENHANCE IT. WE COULD MAKE A MODIFICATION. THAT’S THE BEAUTY OF THIS SOFTWARE AND THE BEAUTY OF WHAT PAUL BONAPARTE HAS PUT TOGETHER. WE’RE JUST SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS AS A LEARNING TOOL FOR NOT ONLY THE KIDS, BUT FOR FOR OLDER PEOPLE. I’M AN OLDER PERSON, SO I THINK I COULD LEARN A LOT ABOUT THAT. SO YOU’RE STILL YOUNG AT HEART, RIGHT HERE, DOCTOR CAMILLE, I’M CURIOUS. WE HAVE THE THE HIGH SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS FOR FINANCIAL LITERACY. IS THIS SOMETHING K THROUGH EIGHT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT? I KNOW SOME OTHER STATES DO THAT WHERE THEY REQUIRE FINANCIAL LITERACY. IN THOSE EARLIER GRADES AS WELL. I WOULD SAY ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO CONTINUE TO GROW FINANCIAL LITERACY. THE FULL SPECTRUM WITHIN OUR DISTRICT WOULD BE A BONUS, WOULD BE A BENEFIT. IT’S CERTAINLY SOMETHING ON OUR END. WE’RE LOOKING AT. WE’RE DOING A LOT OF WORK RIGHT NOW ON COLLEGE CAREER PATHWAYS. SO WE’RE PLANNING BACKWARDS FOR STUDENTS TO GET THEM ENGAGED. WHAT COMES AFTER HIGH SCHOOL FINANCIAL LITERACY, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, LIFE SKILLS THAT ALL TIES RIGHT, RIGHT HAND IN HAND. AND IF WE CAN BETTER EQUIP KIDS AS THEY LEAVE US, WE’RE IN A MUCH, MUCH BETTER SPACE AS A COMMUNITY. YEAH, RIGHT INTO THE REAL WORLD. RIGHT. THANK YOU TO BOTH OF US FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. APPRECIATE IT. IT’S BEEN A PLEASURE. THANK YOU. MAKE EVERY SUNDAY MORNING A GREAT MORNING. THAT’S RIGHT. MAKE EVERY SUNDAY MORNING A GREAT MORNING. THANK YOU LOU. APPRECIATE IT. AND THE US SENATE RACE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE HEATING UP.