Building Independence Courses are designed to teach personal finance and life skills- skills that used to be taught in school.
Personal finance
My course focuses on the basics of financial literacy: banking, budgeting, avoiding debt, responsible credit card practices, investments, insurance, taxes, and much more. If you have felt “lost” when hearing financial terms like APR, annuity, or EFTs, my class if for you! Are you part of the 85% of Millennials that don’t know how to file their own taxes? At the end of my class, you will know how to file your 1040 and 540 like a pro, balance your checkbook, shop for insurance, live without debt, and feel more confident about living on your own.
Independence skills
Based on the 8 areas of independence skills mentioned by Julie Lythcott-Haims in her book, "How to Raise an Adult : Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success,” my class also highlights important living skills like finding resources/mentors, managing your time, managing households, coping with life’s ups and downs, college & career choices, and more. I give homework assignments-like creating a “Price Book,” and calculating the true cost of college if you take out student loans-that provide practical, real life applications. Many of my past students still keep their notebooks to refer to when they are done with my class, because the information remains current and helpful.
In Building Independence, we crunch the numbers to see if a specific degree from a particular university really DOES mean higher salaries and greater opportunities. When a student is done with my class, they will feel more confident that the college decision they make is the right one for them.
“adulting”
As my own children grew into their teen years, I realized it was up to me to teach them that being an adult was much more than balancing a checkbook. “Adulting” is also about finding and utilizing the resources around you, to help you face life’s challenges and opportunities. I bring my large network of business professionals to the Building Independence classroom to help me teach about pertinent topics, such as investment basics, emergency preparedness, tax preparation, insurance shopping, job interview skills, buying a car, and other “grown up” topics. You or your student will leave my classroom with the resources needed to be a more confident, independent, adult individual.
Confidence to face life’s ups & downs
One of the most vital topics that often gets overlooked in high school and college classrooms is emotional health. Living independently means tackling life’s problems in a mature manner; yet the unfortunate truth is that sometimes we are not given the emotional tools we need to tackle life’s tougher issues. In Building Independence, we talk about the warning signs of depression, anxiety, and other vital mental and physical health issues. My goal is to help my students “bounce, not break” as they face life. Every student leaves my classroom more prepared to utilize the resources around them, and find the help they need, as they live independently.