In fifth grade, I learned how to write a check. Not going to lie, the math nerd in me thought it was one of the coolest skills I learned in elementary school. My teacher, Mr. B, kept emphasizing that we couldn’t use a pencil. We had to use a pen. The only other time I was allowed to use pen was to re-trace my final drafts that I first wrote in pencil. (We didn’t use computers all that much back then). So yeah, having to use a pen made writing a check way more intense for me… which of course, made it that much cooler. I was suddenly granted so much responsibility. My classmates and I walked out of class that day with our heads held high. We thought we were basically adults… all because we learned how to write a check, and we were given the power of the almighty pen.

So I have a couple of questions.

First of all, why did the money lessons stop? Why didn’t anyone teach me more about credit? Why wasn’t I taught the basics like how to save up for my BFF’s birthday gift?

This brings me to my second question. Whose responsibility is it? Who is responsible for teaching students- the future of America- about what this capitalist economy runs on, MONEY? Seems like an important subject to me.

In my bitter determination to get to the bottom of this, I did some research. Here’s what I found:

According to the 2016 Survey of the States, only 17 states actually require a high school personal finance course to be taken.

And here’s the real kicker. California is actually one of the 6 states that have no statewide standards for personal finance AT ALL. So I guess I should count myself lucky for learning how to write a check in 5th grade.

But there’s clearly an interest to learn personal finance even though the opportunity isn’t made readily available. According to a 2011 study by Charles Schwab, 86% of 16-18 year olds are interested in learning more about money management before they make a mistake in the real world.

My solution?

I worked with Jennifer, my Skillify colleague, to host an online workshop on financial independence (because someone had to!). High schoolers and their parents were welcome to join in. We first used our own personal stories to talk about WHY high schoolers need to become financially savvy. We then discussed all the different ways you can pay for college, start budgeting, and understand credit.

And I’m glad we did it! 100% of students and parents found the workshop beneficial. One parent even personally let me know how much she enjoyed the workshop.

“Jacob* has a college-age brother, so I thought I knew what to do regarding financial aid. I learned a lot of new information that will prove valuable when Jacob and his sister go to college.”

The online workshop showed me a couple of things.

One, the students wanted to actually learn about the topic. They were engaging with our discussion, and asking thoughtful questions like what to do if they don’t get the financial aid they need, or how to save money if they have to buy lunch every day.

Two, after the workshop, students said they felt more prepared to apply for scholarships and financial aid. They felt more confident about being on their own in college, and felt in more control of their financial lives. We clearly need to give high school students more credit (haha!).

So here’s what I propose.

Even though talking about finance can be uncomfortable, encourage a discussion. Why not?! They can handle it! High school students don’t need to know about a 401K, but they do need to understand the value of money. They may not need to know about the Health Saving Account right now, but they do need to know how to budget for unexpected expenses. They may not have to worry about mortgages or down payments yet, but they do need to understand that if they keep dropping $2 at lunch whenever it’s Big Cookie Day, it may keep them from having enough for milestones, like buying their first car.

Learning how to write a check in 5th grade had a huge impact on my confidence. You’d be surprised how empowered you can make your students feel, just by giving them a simple money lesson and the almighty pen.

*Name changed for privacy

Darlene is a Student Success Coach at Skillify and can be reached at darlene@skillifynow.com.