Olympia - Hundreds of Washington middle school students will learn about managing money next week through a project sponsored by the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions (DFI). The National Theatre for Children (NTC), based in Minneapolis, will tour 12 Washington schools with a production entitled, “Mad About Money.” The programs will be offered in both Spanish and English.
Mad About Money is a live theatrical event focusing on the concepts of saving, budgeting, credit, and investing. Two professional actors from NTC create scenarios that appeal and speak to students. The actors play a wide variety of colorful characters in four different sketches designed to teach:
- How to prioritize your needs and wants
- The difference between cash and credit
- All about investing
- The importance of forming a savings habit
The program will visit schools in the Spokane, Yakima, and Seattle vicinity. Each school receives activity workbooks and teacher guides created by Lightbulb Press to reinforce the message in the classroom. This is the program’s first tour in Washington State. Mad About Money has been presented to over 40,000 students across the country.
“DFI is committed to financial literacy,” said Scott Kinney, Director of Communications for DFI. “This program connects with students on what is traditionally thought of as a “grown-up” subject. The actors do an incredible job of entertaining while driving home key messages about managing money. We are excited to bring Mad About Money to Washington.”