Credit Canada

The countdown has begun and Credit Education Week Canada 2009 (CEWC 2009) is only five days away. It’s set to be bigger than ever; so big even Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty, will be in attendance, along with many more prominent financial media figures.

It all starts with the Kick-Off Launch on Monday, November 2nd from 9:30 am – 11:30 am at the Downtown Metro YMCA. This is a free event which is open to the public, so don’t miss out on this exclusive opportunity. Alison Griffiths from ‘Maxed Out’ will be hosting the event and presenting to you our financial guru panel. This is your chance to see world renowned Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and Minister of Education Kathleen Wynne address the public on the importance of money management and financial education, followed by presentations courtesy of our guru panel: (more…)

Lately we have been hearing loud and clear about how important it is to teach our children about managing and handling money. We know that in the school system these subjects are hit and miss and you are lucky if your child has a teacher who is willing to take this important task on.

Well, it so happens there is one elementary school teacher I know of who is up for the challenge. His name is Mr. Brian Barlow of Birchcliff Public School and he has introduced my daughter and her Grade Six classmates to an innovative and imaginative financial literacy program he developed many years ago.

This is how it works. Mr. Barlow issues Barlow Bucks (he creates his own paper notes) to each student at the beginning of the school term. The Bucks can be used to purchase items from the Barlow store, which mostly stocks school supplies such as pencils, erasers, markers, etc. In addition, each month, students are required to pay ten Barlow Bucks for the rental of their desk and chair. At the same time, students can earn Barlow Bucks by getting their homework done on time. They can also lose Barlow Bucks for lagging on their homework or for acting out in class. (more…)