Hello everyone. I'm Kathy Bock, Managing Director of Vanguard Canada, and I'm pleased to tell you about our My Classroom Economy program.
We started our program in 2011 to help students make informed and smart financial choices.
The idea from My Classroom Economy came from one of our employees or crew as we call them when they were asked by their child when will I be able to pay off my mortgage.
This curiosity stemmed from an in classroom economy created by their teacher where students had jobs, paid rent and experienced a micro economy in the class to understand financial basics.
At Vanguard, we are dedicated to helping investors and giving them the best chance for investment success.
This type of in classroom economy seems like a great way to teach money management and budgeting skills.
Our research has shown that adults who have better financial habits and money management skills lead healthier lives, are more financially secure, less stressed, and retire earlier.
So building this knowledge when you were young is no different from building healthy eating, exercise, and social habits.
We partnered with that first teacher and other educators to develop a comprehensive program to supplement classroom activities.
The program has now impacted over 1,000,000 students across North America.
To all educators, we thank you for your dedication to creating engaging learning environments.
Your efforts equip children with essential skills for their future.
Our team at Vanguard created this program to provide students with a hands on experience for money management and to enhance financial literacy.
Students take on jobs, earn salaries, and manage their expenses just like in the real world.
To those teachers who have already used our program, we are excited to have you as partners and look forward to continuing this journey together, making learning fun and impactful for your students.
Thank you again for all that you do to help young Canadians.
We appreciate your interest in the My Classroom Economy program.
Thank you.