December 2, 2025

Beyond the Basics: Mindy Bingham on Giving Teens Real Financial Power

In USA Today’s coverage of Gen Z’s widening financial-knowledge gap, education leaders warn that teens are graduating without the real-world skills needed to manage their money—and the article includes this insight from Mindy Bingham, author of Lifestyle Math, that cuts to the heart of the issue: “Every teen deserves to know not just how money works, but how money can work for them. That’s what changes behavior—not just vocabulary or worksheets, but real numbers tied to their own lives.” Her approach reinforces the urgency for practical, personalized financial-literacy tools like Lifestyle Math that move beyond terminology and empower students with their own data.

Last Chance: End-of-Year Professional Development Spots

Good news! There’s still time to join our final professional development sessions of the year! Even better—Lifestyle Math PD kicks off this month! Get ready to bring real-world financial literacy to life and help students make meaningful, math-based decisions about their futures.

And that’s just the start—additional interactive workshops designed to support educators using the Career Choices series and other programs are still available. Spots fill quickly, so register today to finish the year strong—or book a one-on-one planning session to find out about additional dates or custom PD options.

Empowering Students Together: Our New Jump$tart Partnership

We’re thrilled to announce that Academic Innovations is now an official partner of the Jump$tart Coalition! This recognition underscores our shared mission to advance financial literacy and empower students with the money skills they need for real-world success. And educators gain access to more resources, professional development, and tools to make financial education engaging, practical, and impactful.

Upcoming Conferences Where We Can Meet! 

We loved connecting with everyone at the CTE Conference in Rancho Mirage! It was fantastic to share ideas and show how our curriculum makes financial literacy and career readiness come alive. We’re excited to hit the road again and hope to see you at another great conference in March—can’t wait to keep the conversation going!

2026 CA Dual Enrollment Equity Conference
San Diego, CA: March 16–19

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