INTRODUCTION FACILITATOR S GUIDE INTRODUCTION

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1 FACILITATOR S GUIDE INTRODUCTION Program Overview... 2 Curriculum Overview: K Tips for Effective Use of the Curriculum... 5 Delivering Your Presentation... 8 Pre-Presentation Checklist... 9 Post-Presentation Review FACILITATOR S GUIDE INTRODUCTION FACILITATOR S GUIDE INTRODUCTION FACILITATOR S GUIDE INTRODUCTION FACILITATOR S GUIDE INTRODUCTION FACILITATOR S

2 program overview Everyone must make financial decisions and often on a daily basis. Making those decisions is one thing, but making informed decisions is completely another. That s why it s important for individuals to build their financial literacy, starting in childhood and continuing past retirement. The goal of this curriculum is to provide a foundation of basic knowledge about financial services, saving, investing, and credit. As a facilitator, you can help meet that goal by sharing your expertise with others. It can be an exciting and rewarding experience, as well as a very valuable one.

3 Curriculum overview: K-8 This curriculum begins with activities targeted toward students in grades Kindergarten through 8. Each activity was designed to meet different crosscurricular performance standards, for use in the classroom. These include: Social Studies: These standards come from the Ontario Ministry of Education s Curriculum, the Western Canadian Protocol for Collaboration in Basic Education, and the Foundation for the Atlantic Canada Social Studies Curriculum. Economics: These standards come from the Canadian Foundation for Economic Education. Math: These standards come from the Ontario Ministry of Education and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Language Arts: These standards come from the standards endorsed by the International Reading Association, the Ontario Ministry of Education, and the National Council of Teachers of English. Specific national performance standards are listed within the introductions to each grade level. You may also wish to align these activities with the appropriate state standards. Visit the US Department of Education s website for links to state standards: A Summary of Activities Activities are separated by grade level: K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. Each of these sections explores grade-appropriate financial concepts that are important to learn at an early age. A brief description of each section follows. GRADES K-2 The four activities for this age group focus on money basics: what it is, where it comes from, how it s used, and why we need it. Through handson activities that focus on math and social studies concepts, students learn how to identify and count money, consider money s value, and start thinking about the differences between needs and wants. All of these activities help students take their first steps toward financial literacy. GRADES 3-5 In these four activities, students learn basic concepts related to responsible money management. Students distinguish between needs and wants and begin to realize the importance of budgeting. Through hands-on activities, students practice tracking their expenses and evaluate the best methods for saving their money.

4 Curriculum overview: K-8 GRADES 6-8 The learning activities in this unit encourage students to think about ways to balance their financial needs and wants with the resources that they have. Students learn about ways to earn money and then to save or invest it. Similar to the Grades 3-5 activities, they also practice working with a budget and recording expenses. In the last of the four activities for this grade level, students explore advertising techniques and why it is important to be an informed consumer. The Structure of the Curriculum The Facilitator s Guide contains the information needed to present the activities. For more background, consult the Appendix. The Guide is designed to minimize preparation time and help you teach the lessons with confidence. Each grade-level section is structured as follows: Standards Correlation Activities Each activity has a standardized presentation format. This format allows you not only to prepare but also to present the information efficiently. Each activity is designed to be completed within one to two class periods. Relevant Subject Areas Objectives Learning goals for the activity Estimated Time Requirement Materials Needed List of materials, supplies, and equipment needed to deliver the activity Important Terms Literature Connection List of books and periodicals that complement the activity Interactive Extension Link to an Internet-based activity that supports the unit Teaching Strategies and Learning Activities Brief semi-scripted notes guide you through the presentation of the activity Evaluation An end-of-unit evaluation helps to ensure that students are meeting the learning objectives of the activity. Handouts and Overheads To ensure a user-friendly connection between the content and the participants, many of the activities include hands-on, supplemental materials. Make sure you have sufficient copies of each handout to give one to each student.

5 Tips for effective use of the curriculum Helping people to learn basic financial concepts and skills can be challenging. For most people, social, economic, and personal opportunities or limitations are related to their financial resources. Often, any discussion about financial issues has emotional overtones. It s important to keep that in mind as you plan to share your financial insights. This may be your first time presenting financial facts to a class or an audience or you may be very experienced. In any event, keep the following ideas in mind. Before you do anything else, review the critical concepts about the Citigroup Financial Education Curriculum. It is: a first step toward basic financial literary planned to meet the needs of many different audiences designed to be flexible organized in modules that can be used individually or in combination with other community and learning resources structured around a variety of learning activities, including problemsolving, skill development, Q&A, group discussion, and more Use your best judgment to choose which strategies will work well with each of your audiences. There are four basic steps: 1. Know your audience. In most cases, your audience will be a class or a group of people who volunteered to take part in this program, so you can assume they want to know the financial facts that you have to share. That s an excellent start. However, every group has its own personality and skills. This is the exciting challenge of teaching. Prior to conducting your education session, check in with the teacher or program administrator to learn more about the students/ constituents with whom you will be working. Here are some strategies to adapt basic financial education information in this program to the needs of different audiences. Find out the basic demographics of the audience. Talk with the teacher or program administrator ahead of time to learn the following about your audience: - age - general income or resource level - typical housing - general level of familiarity with banking resources - any relevant environmental influences that may affect the audience s attitudes toward personal finance, whether economic, cultural, or religious - specific financial questions or problems they might have - general time available for the program (Example: 1-2 hours, one session or several)

6 Tips for effective use of the curriculum If you plan to meet with a group several times, it would be useful to have a focus group with representative members of the audience or use the Student Questionnaires located at the beginning of each chapter to gauge prior knowledge. This can be an effective way to learn about the financial issues that concern the group, their preferences for conceptual or practical learning strategies, language barriers, or other factors that can affect planning. Walk or drive through the community to get a general sense of where and how the people who participate in your program live. Research current financial events or programs targeted to the community. Visit or call the office of a local politician, community leader, or the Chamber of Commerce and ask: - Is the community part of an area designated for development and supported by local, regional, or federal funds to promote new business, housing, or other improvements? - What are the major industries? - Is employment rising or falling? - Are small businesses thriving? If you live or work in the community where you will be presenting the program, you probably know the names and locations of banks, shopping centers, and local businesses. Here are some ways to become even more familiar with the community: - Introduce yourself to the customer service representative of a local bank and ask what specific questions or information might be most important to your audience. Consider planning a field trip to the bank, a credit union, or other financial centers. - Pick up samples of weekly shopper newsletters, coupons, or specials notices in grocery stores; compare prices of major brands to identify bargains. - Look at the classified ads for apartments or houses; talk with a real estate agent, if possible, to get a general overview about the concerns of the community. 2. Assess the audience s needs. Once you know more about the audience and their community environment, consider what approaches to learning would be most appropriate. Some learning activities are designed to present conceptual information the value of a good credit rating, for example while others focus on specific financial tasks such as writing a cheque or bill paying. To add variety, enhance sessions with events such as visiting a local bank or hosting guest speakers from the banking community. 3. Review the available materials. Review the financial information and learning activities in the Facilitator s Guide. Decide how they can be used in the context of current events or

7 Tips for effective use of the curriculum real-life experiences to present the information in the content modules you plan to use. Consider these factors: - Value: Will this event or experience add to or enrich the content of the presentation? - Appropriateness: Is the event or experience appropriate given the specific audience? - Relevance: Is the event or experience related to the point being made? - Reliability: Is the event or experience objective and from a reliable source? 4. Customize the presentation for the audience. Accentuate the positive. Knowledge about financial resources gives people confidence and helps them make better personal choices. Avoid scare tactics or horror stories; they don t work. Also, while humor can lighten up a tense audience, be careful of the content you use, since it could offend someone. Again, this is why it is critical to know your audience. Keep the examples you use familiar ones for your audience. For instance, talk about rental prices that are typical of the area. When in doubt, ask the participants for their thoughts. For example: Josie and Al need to move because they need more space. What type of home or apartment are they likely to find near here? What would be a good budget for them to use in planning their move? Bill works every day after school, from 4:00-7:30 pm. He s earning $7 an hour but thinks he should do better. What s a good hourly rate in this area? Find out what you can about the financial choices your audience is facing: Are most of them renters? Ready to buy a first home? About to have children? Helping care for elderly parents? Consider how their immediate financial decisions will affect their future. Focus your presentation on these specific financial decisions. Citigroup offers an online training program for facilitators. For more training information contact Citigroup at fetraining@citigroup.com. For more information about this and other financial education programs offered by Citigroup businesses, visit

8 Delivering your presentation Arrive in plenty of time to organize for the presentation. A half hour is best. Be friendly, and be yourself. Meet and greet participants at the door with a smile. Start on time. End on time. Whether the presentation is in a classroom or a community center, time is valuable and limited. Keep in mind for evening presentations that most participants have already had a full day of work and have personal and family responsibilities. Start each session with a focused attention getter. Begin with something simple that will make the participants alert and eager to participate in the session. - Give out coupon inserts from the local paper. - Pass out play money. - Say a key financial word or concept; ask participants what they first think of when they hear this word. - Use financial statistics you ve gathered through research. Relevant statistics are excellent ways to get the audience s attention and emphasize why they are spending time in your presentation. - Questions can also be good attention getters, especially if you ask something that you ve learned your participants are interested in. Invite participation in the session and the content. Encourage questions and concerns about the subject. Involve as many audience members as possible. Use discussion and questions as a way to evaluate participants comprehension. Participants should be empowered to seek answers for themselves. Keep the subject on track. Be alert to off-topic questions or comments, and move past them quickly. Focus on encouraging words. Financial literacy is a positive opportunity for participants to secure both short- and long-term financial success for themselves. Just a reminder: As a program presenter, you are not expected to know everything about personal finance. If you don t know the answer to a question, say so. And if you promise to find the answer, be sure to follow up. Ask a qualified investment advisor or local bank representative for any information you need, and encourage participants to do the same. Consider working with a financial professional to either help you deliver the lesson or be a subject matter expert of whom you can ask questions or offer insight. In certain markets, a Citigroup representative may be of assistance to you. For more information, write to fetraining@citigroup.com.

9 PRE-presentation checklist Use this quick chart to plan your presentation and ensure that you have all the tools you ll need to deliver it effectively. Name of Presentation: Date: Location: Time: start end Address/Directions: Contact Person: Phone: Need? Details Comments Yes No Audience/Class Characteristics Preferences Languages # Expected Attendance Space/Facilities Chairs Chalkboard/chalk Tables LCD, overhead projector, cord, lamp, screen or white wall space for projection Display space Flipchart/pens Educational Materials Handouts - Local bank or credit union brochures - list of websites - coupon inserts - curriculum overheads - other: # needed + extras Definitions on chalkboard/ flipchart Announcement for next session, follow-up Participant evaluations Other reminders:

10 Post-presentation Review One of the best skills professional speakers possess is the instant analysis of his or her presentation. Use this same technique to review your program. It will help you see why you deserve a pat on the back and where you can improve for the next time. Immediately following your presentation, complete this quick self-questionnaire: Could be Average Excellent COMMENTS better MY PRESENTATION speaking voice friendliness self-confidence planning ability to handle difficult questions other: CONTENT subject matter examples learning activities handouts other: AUDIENCE number interest involvement in activities questions other: FACILITIES comfort cleanliness visual display projector, other equipment LEARNING TECHNIQUES best: least effective: What advice would you give to someone planning to present a similar program? 10