Financial literacy is making a comeback.

Most people would agree schools have not made a strong investment in financial literacy. But a variety of new programs and initiatives are hoping to change that. "Most kids don t learn about it and most teachers don't know how to teach it," says Gino Guzzardo, program director of Kidz Online, which produces and distributes digital videos for students. "We're working on financial literacy materials that can be used in math, history, social studies."

Currently, Kidz Online is developing a program called Mastering Money that will debut later this year. It's a series of 22-minute videos that will be available for free on the Internet and, if Guzzardo has his way, downloadable to iPods or other portable devices as well as on TV. He says the series will teach the core concepts of financial literacy.

"Mastering Money is a perfect example of a project that represents a new way of providing financial information that will attract kids and make them interested in learning more in school and in their spare time," says John Gannon, secretary of the NASD Investor Education Foundation, which funds grants that focus on providing financial education for students.

Another project that NASD is involved with is the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy. This Web site offers free and low-cost financial resources for teachers that run the gamut from choosing a financial planner to understanding annual reports. "We're trying to give teachers a comfort level to teach this, even if they feel they've made mistakes themselves," says Laura Levine, executive director of Jump$tart.

Gannon says although there is plenty of excellent financial literacy material available to schools, a lot of people are unsure about where to find it. His organization is helping with professional development and to help teachers locate the material.

Another NASD initiative is with Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. This project is about educating all school employees--from janitors to secretaries to teacher's aides to superintendents--about finance. The three different curricula are geared for different audiences. Unfortunately, the program was put on hold because of Hurricane Katrina, but should begin at 10 districts in the spring of 2007. According to Jeanette A. Tucker, associate professor and family economics specialist at Louisiana State, the four two-hour lessons will cover financial basics and investing. "We're not pushing student education with this program, but if a teacher is better informed it will naturally work its way into the classroom," she says.

www.kidzonline.org

www.nasdfoundation.org

www.nasbe.org

www.jumpstart.org