Mark Pellegrino, Matt Higgins, & Zuby Join Growing List of Celebrities Collaborating to Bring FinLit to FL Students

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA, US, February 5, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Florida Department of Education has been working quietly behind the scenes with a group of educators and financial experts to develop its new financial literacy curriculum, which was recently completed, and the department is now moving forward with the other half of the equation—getting Florida students excited about and engaged with the curriculum so they can learn and benefit from it.

While the 13-member working group has developed a comprehensive financial literacy curriculum that ranges from the basics, like financial terminology, balancing a checkbook, and understanding credit cards, to more advanced topics, like compounding interest, credit scoring guidelines, and investing strategies, the challenge will be to get the students, who at that age often believe they already have all the answers, to understand the importance of this education.

That’s where these celebrities fit into the equation.

The idea is to leverage high profile celebrities, who the students already recognize and respect, by having them record a short selfie video talking about the importance of financial literacy from their own perspective. When a parent or teacher tells a student they need to be financially literate in order to become successful, they’re often met with resistance, but when the same message comes from a celebrity, it just resonates differently.

Mark Cuban, business icon and one of the original Sharks on the hit TV show Shark Tank, was the first celebrity to throw his support behind this mission, and he shared his perspective with Florida students, saying,

“I want to tell you how important it is to learn as much as you can about financial literacy. If you want to make money, keep the money you make, and grow it into something bigger. If you don't understand how to save money, how to use a credit card, what a bank account does, there's a really good chance you're going to lose your money. And what's worse than not having any of that stuff is losing everything you worked really hard for. Now you've got a great financial literacy program. Trust me. You want to learn how money works.”

Dr. David Phelps and Kim Kiyosaki, the Department of Education working group’s two financial experts, say the addition of celebrities like Cuban will have a huge impact on the effectiveness of this curriculum.

Phelps explained, “We could talk all day long and never get through to a large portion of these kids. If you’ve ever interacted with a teenager, you know exactly what I mean. But these larger than life celebrities, who our younger generations recognize and trust, absolutely can. It’s a team effort because the Florida DOE’s working group has developed a comprehensive curriculum that equips students with the knowledge they need, and these celebrities can get them to pay attention with an open mind. It’s a powerful combination and the timing is perfect because the direction the economy is headed right now demands serious changes.”

Kiyosaki expanded on this, saying, “Money is a life skill. We use it every day. Yet, kids come out of high school with no idea how to use, manage, and much-less grow the money they earn. Why most schools do not teach kids about money is a mystery. Unfortunately, it is because of the lack of financial literacy that so many adults struggle financially, so I applaud the state of Florida for requiring that every high school student complete a financial literacy course, and I applaud the celebrities who have graciously volunteered to help get Florida students to understand the importance of this topic.”

The roster of celebrities helping the Department of Education get students engaged with its new financial literacy curriculum continues to grow, with Shark Tank’s Matt Higgins, Supernatural’s Mark Pellegrino, and the rapper, Zuby, coming on board. Some of the celebrities involved include:

Mark Cuban — One of the original Sharks on the hit TV show Shark Tank, entrepreneur, and venture capitalist.
Kim Kiyosaki — Co-founder and CEO of The Rich Dad Company, author, speaker, and real estate investor.
Matt Higgins — Guest host of the hit TV show Shark Tank, venture capitalist, and entrepreneur.
Mark Pellegrino — TV & movie actor known for American Rust, Beverly Hills Cop 4, Lost, Supernatural, The Big Lebowski, Dexter, and many others.
Lori Greymont — Creator of the real estate TV show Funding Faceoff, real estate investor, and entrepreneur.
Zuby — Rapper, author, host of the podcast, 'Real Talk with Zuby,' and entrepreneur.
Dean Rogers — Former tight end and fullback with the NFL’s San Diego Chargers and current real estate investor and entrepreneur.
Mario Henry — Former wide receiver with the NFL’s New England Patriots and current entrepreneur and investor.

The Florida Department of Education needs all the help they can find to get students engaged with this valuable new curriculum, so any celebrities interested in using their status to help are encouraged to reach out to Spartan Media.

Jeremy Knauff
Spartan Media
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