FAQ
In addition to its financial literacy curriculum, what services does Money Masters offer?
In addition to our curriculum, Money Masters offers on- and off-site professional development, consulting, and speaking services.
How much do you charge?
Our pricing is dependent on a number of different factors designed to best meet your needs. For specific pricing information, contact Lisa Dworkin at 847-656-8616.
How will Money Masters improve our students’ learning?
Money Masters teaches students a valuable life skill; how to make responsible, informed financial decisions. No matter what students do in the future, the ability to manage money is essential to one’s well-being. Additionally, Money Masters’ program reinforces other important areas such as critical thinking, communication, math, and research skills.
Why should we pay for curriculum when there is material available for free?
We believe our curriculum offers numerous advantages over our competitors. It is a comprehensive curriculum covering all aspects of personal financial literacy from opening bank accounts to building wealth through wise investing. Some financial literacy curriculums are biased by the agendas of their authors. Money Masters’ curriculum is an unbiased source of financial information presented in an easy to understand, easy to implement, and educationally sound manner. Additionally, Money Masters offers great value for your investment because of our commitment to customer service. We don’t just provide you with curriculum. We support you every step of the way.
Where will we fit financial literacy education in our schedule?
There are a variety of ways to fit Money Masters’ curriculum into your school’s schedule. One way is to teach it during an advisory period because of its life skills and personal responsibility focus. Another way is to teach it as a cross-curricular unit since it meets a wide variety of standards. Another way is to teach Money Masters as an elective that all students rotate through in the same way as health. Whichever one you choose, the best method of implementation is the one that meets your school’s scheduling and budget requirements and Money Masters will work with your school to help you find the best way to fit the material into your schedule.
What if we don’t have the time or desire to teach such a comprehensive curriculum?
While one of Money Masters’ strengths is the comprehensive nature of the curriculum, another of its strengths is that the majority of units stand alone or can be redesigned into smaller components. For example, you might teach basics of banking (units 9 and 10), consumer essentials (units 4, 5, 6 and 8), or beginning investing (units 3, 11, 12, 13 and 14). We are happy to work with you to develop a teaching strategy that fits your needs.
How can we offer financial literacy education when our teachers aren’t trained to teach this subject?
Money Masters’ curriculum is a complete, turnkey curriculum written with the needs of busy teachers in mind. Therefore, it is easy for most teachers to implement with little to no financial background. An added benefit to our program is that teachers often profit from the material personally. We also offer professional development services for more in-depth teacher training.
Why should we teach financial literacy when there are so many government mandated subjects we have to teach?
As a former classroom teacher herself, Lisa Dworkin understands the huge demands placed upon teachers today. That is one reason why she aligned Money Masters’ curriculum to multiple standards because when teachers use it they aren’t only teaching their students essential life skills; they are also meeting currently mandated state and federal standards.
Why focus on youth? Lots of other groups – for example, single women, retirees, low income individuals – need financial literacy education.
It is true that lots of people need financial literacy education and we would love to see everyone get it. Nonetheless, we limited our scope to schoolchildren for the following reasons …
- School attendance is compulsory up to age 18, so by teaching basic personal finance and financial responsibility in elementary and secondary schools we reach a larger audience.
- Learning usually happens in this sequence. First is awareness of a topic or problem. Then comes education in the subject. Finally there is (we hope) behavioral change as a result of the new knowledge. It is easier to influence attitudes and behavior in younger individuals.
- By teaching financial literacy to schoolchildren we can avoid some of the financial misconceptions that frequently develop in adults.
What differentiates Money Masters from other organizations supporting financial literacy education?
Money Masters’ curriculum was written by a teacher for teachers. It meets the needs of all the relevant constituents including students, parents, teachers, and administrators. It uses sound educational best practices because the author understands education. It is taught by students’ regular classroom teachers rather than an outside provider who needs to spend time getting to know students or who may not know how to deal with behavior management issues. It is also agenda-free (beyond its obvious agenda of financial literacy education). Finally, Money Masters is a small organization with a strong emphasis on customer service that will respond to your needs quickly and effectively.
