Stephanie Yoder
New Hope-Solebury Middle School has introduced a groundbreaking financial literacy course as part of its curriculum for eighth grade students. This initiative stems from the district’s mission to prepare future-ready students with essential life skills and to meet the increasing demand for financial education in schools.
The impetus for developing a financial literacy offering at the middle school level is rooted in creating a seamless progression for students’ understanding of financial concepts. The program lays a strong foundation, ensuring that students can confidently navigate basic financial discussions and recognize entrepreneurial opportunities. Spearheading this effort is New Hope-Solebury faculty member and course instructor, Dr. Brian Rutledge, and Middle School Principal Dr. Erik Pedersen. Rutledge, who holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a graduate degree in risk management and insurance from the Fox School of Business at Temple University, brings a wealth of knowledge to the classroom, ensuring that students grasp complex financial concepts with practical applications.
“We are proud to have launched this course in anticipation of the state mandate for financial literacy at the high school level starting in 2026,” Rutledge said. “By offering this course in middle school, our students will have a greater appreciation and grasp of the content when it is expanded in high school.”
The course uses MassMutual’s program EverFi, a curriculum engaging students with interactive experiences and using real-world scenarios to cover a range of topics, such as banking and payment options, credit scores, insurance, mortgages, and entrepreneurship. The students are engaged in classroom discussions about the benefits and risks associated with financial decisions and are enhancing their understanding of the impacts of those choices.
“It has…
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