High school students learn principles of personal finance

The Idaho Department of Education stresses the importance of students having basic knowledge of economics and personal finance before entering college or the workforce. In fact, it considers a one-semester personal finance course necessary to prepare students for life and work in the 21st century.

To this purpose, the Department of Education has adopted the TimeMAPS Money Management & Life Skills Program from Realityworks, Inc., as a resource in the Professional-Technical Education/Family Consumer Science classification for grades 9-12. The financial literacy software and curriculum was approved to help districts ensure students meet graduation requirements, and the requirements of the Idaho State Standards. 
 
The TimeMAPS software program features 13 themes with 54 lessons and more than 140 interactive exercises on personal finance concepts. The software culminates in a Life Simulator that demonstrates how students' financial decisions can affect them in the future. It  uses the most recent financial data provided by the federal government and is updated annually for all regions in the United States. TimeMAPS also includes a comprehensive curriculum CD, and access to customizable, online assessments that minimize paperwork.

"The recent economic turmoil we've witnessed serves as an important lesson for students across our nation," says Timmothy Boettcher, president of Realityworks. "We're happy to see that the Idaho Department of Education recognizes the need for comprehensive financial literacy education to ensure students are well prepared for their futures."
 
In addition to the TimeMAPS package, a student resource CD is available, which contains worksheets, reviews, quizzes and projects that students can use to reinforce financial literacy lessons taught from the curriculum.