Making Financial Literacy Accessible
Teaching Assistant, Instructor & Club Leader — AIM High STL | 2024–Present
The Gap
While working with students at AIM High, I realized that many middle-school students were unfamiliar with basic financial concepts. I wanted to make topics like saving, budgeting, credit, and money management feel less intimidating and more useful.
What I Created
I developed a financial-literacy curriculum designed specifically for middle-school students. The course included more than 100 instructional slides, five Jeopardy-style learning activities, and a final project that gave students a chance to apply what they had learned.
Teaching It
I taught the curriculum to sixth- and seventh-grade students while also serving as a teaching assistant and mentor. The experience pushed me to think beyond simply presenting information and focus on how to make unfamiliar ideas understandable, interactive, and relevant.
Expanding the Reach
I later created a self-guided financial literacy website so students could continue learning outside the classroom. The site has been shared with multiple public school districts in the St. Louis area and is planned for use within AIM High programming, reaching more than 400 students.
100+ Slides
5 Learning Games
6th & 7th Grade Students
400+ Potential Reach
The Impact
What began as a single elective grew into a broader effort to make financial knowledge more accessible to students. The most meaningful part has been watching students become more confident asking questions, engaging with unfamiliar concepts, and discussing financial topics they may not have had the opportunity to explore elsewhere.
“Knowledge becomes more useful when someone feels confident enough to use it.”
What I’m Learning
Teaching has shown me that understanding a subject and helping someone else understand it are two very different skills. I’ve learned that good teaching starts with listening—recognizing where someone is struggling, adapting the way I explain an idea, and finding the approach that makes it finally click. Each experience has made me more patient, flexible, and thoughtful about how people learn.