The Saskatoon Industry Education Council (SIEC) started the SaskMoney (formerly Money $ense) financial literacy program in the Spring of 2019 with a goal of creating a program where teachers in the province could easily gather content for instruction that is directly connected to curricular outcomes. 

In the summer of 2019, with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education’s draft curriculum as a guide, the SIEC gathered a team of 11 educators to assemble activities and resources to support middle years (grades 7-9) teachers wanting to integrate the new curriculum into their Practical and Applied Arts instruction. The writing team’s focus was chosen to support 13 modules in the curriculum that are suggested for middle years classrooms. This group also prepared supplementary resources to support teachers who use the Money Fair program, part of the national Talk With Our Kids About Money initiative. 

Throughout the 2019-2020 school year, educators across the province accessed the program via the SIEC’s website, and many teachers attended virtual and in-person PD sessions to gain an understanding of the activities and resources while also learning best practices for financial literacy instruction. 

As the province’s curriculum was finalized, the SIEC expanded their program in the summer of 2020 by assembling a second group of teachers to work with 29 core modules that are taught solely to secondary students who choose to take the Financial Literacy 20/30 course. The program now features  features 44 modules-worth of activities and resources that can be used in classrooms across the province as well as remote learning and homeschool situations. 

To support teachers who are new to this content, the SIEC continues to offer professional development sessions (in-person and virtual) to empower teachers who are new to teaching this course and, perhaps, lacking confidence in the subject area. These sessions focus on how to use the SaskMoney program, as well as sharing best instructional practices to ensure that youth are engaged in such an important topic.
The SIEC is always looking for partners to help create content and/or participate in our events! If you or your organization would like to get involved, please fill out a contact form.