By Brenda Campbell, CEO and President

I’ve talked with countless students, and it’s crystal clear: understanding finances is a big deal, but not everyone has the same access to it. That’s why the recent passage of Act 60 is such a game-changer—it will open doors for teens to get the financial education they need, especially those in under-resourced areas.

According to Next Gen Personal Finance, in schools with a less than 25% Black and Brown student population, 1 in 7 students were guaranteed access to a personal finance course. In schools with a greater than 75% Black and Brown student population, that number jumps to 1 in 20. A staggering statistic, especially when you consider that personal finance is a subject that every one of us uses every single day. By requiring a personal finance course to graduate starting in 2028, Act 60 gives more equitable access to financial education. And that’s not just a win for Wisconsin teens; it’s a win for all of us!

Think about it: when teens dive into topics like budgeting, saving, credit, and investing, they’re gearing up to be super-smart adults who make solid financial choices. That’s the kind of stuff that helps build stronger families and communities down the road.

So what does this mean for SecureFutures? Well, if this law passed 15 years ago when we were only delivering our financial fundamentals program, Money Sense, we would have been out of business – and we would have been the first to celebrate! More teens learning how to manage money is a good thing! Since all public high school students will be receiving foundational financial education, we can devote more of our attention to our Money Coach and Money Path programs and take more students to the next level!

With the passage of Act 60 Wisconsin became the 24^th state in the nation to require a personal finance course to graduate, with that number now up to 25. I believe that in the next 5-10 years we will see all 50 states with a personal finance requirement, bringing SecureFutures’ vision of building strong communities where teens and their families make informed financial decisions and take control of their financial future one step closer to becoming reality.

To all the teen financial empowerment champions who support our mission, we thank you. If you’d like to get involved visit our website for ways you can help. Together we can give teens the tools they need to empower themselves and their families!