CFEE is pleased and honoured to announce that the Foundation is one of the organizations that received a grant from the Government of Alberta to help improve financial education, and the level of financial literacy, for Alberta students.  CFEE extends our thanks to the Government of Alberta and particularly Minister Adriana LaGrange for having confidence in CFEE and our ability to make a difference in the financial futures of Alberta youth.

CFEE will be coordinating the “Building Futures in Alberta” program in English and French that will be comprised of a variety of activities drawing upon our existing programs, modifying and adapting a number of resources, and creating new resources to support improvements in financial education and financial literacy.

Activities will include:

• The creation of a “Learning Framework” setting targets for priority areas of financial knowledge, understanding, and skills.
• The creation of a “Learning Map” identifying where the Alberta Curriculum provides opportunity for financial instruction on the components of the Learning Framework.
• The provision of resources to facilitate instruction related to the Framework targets and correlated with the curriculum opportunities identified in the Learning Map.
• A new “Building Futures in Alberta” website to provide easy and free access to all information, programs, and resources – all of which will be available in English and French.
• A webinar to introduce all elements of the Building Futures in Alberta program to teachers –recorded and posted in English and French for easy reference.
• FinLit 101 – a state-of-the-art online, interactive financial literacy learning program that can be taken independently by youth or used by teachers for class instruction.
• “Money and Youth: A Guide to Financial Literacy” – a hard-copy and web-based resource covering all the topics relevant for youth to prepare for future financial decisions and to manage financial affairs.
• “Talk With Our Kids About Money” (TWOKAM) – an engaging, hands-on, participatory learning program for grades 7-10 where youth select a money topic of interest and prepare a creative presentation on what they learned – including or in the form of a video that can be submitted for the provincial competition with cash prizes youth can use toward their education.
• “My Money, My Future Education Challenge” – a companion program to TWOKAM for grades 10-12, which uniquely challenges youth to create any kind of new resource to help other youth learn about money and how to manage financial affairs.  Youth can also enter this resource in the provincial competition that will culminate in a Showcase event and award cash prizes for future education. The best resources will also be posted online to make them available to youth, parents, and teachers.
• A Monthly Kahoot Quiz as a fun way to engage student interest and obtain insight into what youth are learning and where there is need for particular efforts to help improve financial knowledge, understanding, and skill. Students will be able to compete within a class, or with other classes – or schools – and there will be added instruction provided as answers to the quiz questions are revealed.
• “Money Laughs” – ten short videos produced by the Just For Laughs Gags group to help bring some fun and engagement to financial education. Each video will be 1 ½ minutes long and end with “tips” related to the topic introduced in the typical Just For Laughs Gags pantomime style. This approach will challenge Alberta youth to create their own funny ways to teach others about money.

The new Building Futures in Alberta website provides access to all programs and resources. If you would like to learn more, work with us, or connect with us to get updates on the program, please click here and send us an email describing your interest and how we might be able to assist you. With your email address, we will make sure you are kept up-to-date on all program developments.

Our thanks once again to the Minister and to Alberta Education.  We look forward to the opportunity to help make a difference in the financial futures of thousands of Alberta youth.

Gary Rabbior,
President
Canadian Foundation for Economic Education