'Introductory Workshop to Financial Literacy for Young Adults

High school is an extremely important stage of development in a young person's life. For some it may be the last schooling they attend and for others it is the groundwork for their future educational attainment. During the four years, students are expected to grow as individuals and become ready for the responsibilities of adulthood. Curriculums and course offerings vary throughout the country and while there are some consistencies such as four years of English classes, four years of math, and others, there are key areas of education that are missing. One crucial area of education that is overlooked is financial literacy. In Arizona and many other states there is no required offering of any form of financial education. In fact, attending a school that offers a course on financial literacy is extremely uncommon. The goal of this thesis is to offer a supplementary education that serves as an introduction into the world of personal finances. The goal is to teach this presentation to high school students in Arizona and help them tackle personal financial literacy. This financial education workshop is meant to serve as a foothold for a young person’s journey on the road to financial education and ultimately financial freedom. The workshop is meant to be something that can give them a broad understanding of the basic fundamentals of financial literacy while reinforcing the ability to ask the right questions and utilize resources to eventually answer them. The workshop will cover fundamental subjects such as debt, budgeting, saving and investing. It is not meant to be a holistic approach to financial literacy but rather a beginner’s guide.