Facilitator's Guide - PBS

Introduction
This Facilitator’s Guide is designed to enhance the educational value of the PBS
program, “Your Life, Your Money” with young adults in high schools, colleges
and the community. It will help you and those you teach learn more about
important financial literacy issues that face us all. No matter one’s background,
it is obvious that the need to be financially literate has never been so pressing.
There are many definitions of personal financial literacy. The one used by
the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy states that financial
literacy is “the ability to use knowledge and skills to manage financial
resources effectively for a lifetime of financial well-being.” (2008 Annual
Report to the President)
Therefore, it is much more than balancing a checkbook, comparing prices or obtaining a job.
Rather, personal financial literacy encompasses thinking skills, seeing the “big picture,” and planning for the future, as well as using those
everyday skills.
While reading and writing are taken for granted as part of a complete education, personal financial literacy has sometimes been neglected.
As a result, there is a critical need for young people to acquire the skills and competencies they need to be successful in managing their
personal financial lives, present and future.
“There is never
going to be a good
time to get started
on your financial life, so
you might as well get
started today.”
---- Peter Bielagus
“You always heard,
don’t sweat the small
stuff, but when it comes to
your money, you have to
sweat the small stuff.”
---- Michelle Singletary
“Your Life, Your Money”is an attempt to meet that need through dynamic, culturally aware stories of
real young people in a variety of circumstances. As their stories unfold, the viewer learns how and
why these young adults faced financial literacy challenges and what they did to overcome
them. The characters, concepts, activities and resources found within the public television
program, this Guide, and the companion website at pbs.org make a complete
learning package for those wanting to enhance their financial literacy.
Compelling and relevant, the stories not only guide the viewer to a deeper
understanding of the issues, but also include immediate, positive actions that young
people can take to improve their own financial literacy skills. Bolstered by the wisdom and
experience of experts in the field, the people featured take control of their lives and provide
powerful examples of what it means to “manage your money and not be managed by
your money.”
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