WHITMAN — Superintendent Jeffrey Szymaniak and Principal Christopher Jones are pleased to announce that Whitman-Hanson Regional High School has been awarded a financial literacy grant from the Baker-Polito Administration.
Earlier this month, the school learned it had been awarded $14,247 through an FC:104 Financial Literacy Planning and Implementation Grant. The purpose of this grant program is to provide funding to support schools in the selection and/or development of materials, curriculum, professional development and in-person or virtual learning related to financial literacy.
WHRHS’ application was submitted by business and technology teacher Julie Giglia. With the grant funding, WHRHS aims to further expand access to meaningful financial literacy educational opportunities for students.
“Within the last two years, Superintendent Szymaniak, Principal Jones and our staff have supported the requirement of financial literacy for all students in our school starting in 2022,” Giglia said. “We feel it is important that students are educated in the areas of banking and checking accounts, credit and credit cards, car buying, budgeting, saving for retirement and how student loans work. These are critical life skills and it means a lot to have the support of the administration and to receive this important funding opportunity.”
The funding will allow WHRHS to continue to help students become financially capable individuals when they leave high school. Additionally, the school offers an investing course so that they understand the importance of investing and growing their money to save for things like a house and their retirement years.
“Access to high-quality personal financial literacy education is equity imperative, and we commend you for your efforts to ensure that all students are equipped with the skills to make thoughtful choices about their future,” the Baker-Polito Administration said in the school’s grant acceptance letter. “Your work to teach these concepts will prepare students to effectively navigate the many challenging financial decisions they will have to make in their lives, supporting them in being informed and productive participants in our society.”
The school will now be working with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) on the next steps for how to specifically apply the grant funding to classroom education.
Approximately $250,000 was made available this year to Massachusetts schools through this grant. To learn more about the grant, click here.
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