(Photo 92574377 © Designer491 | Dreamstime.com)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

important skills

Three organizations to receive financial literacy funding for student learning

May 6, 2022 | 1:28 PM

The Alberta Government is revealing more details about how it plans to improve financial literacy programs for students in Grades 3-12.

An investment of about $5 million over three years will enhance student financial knowledge training, the government believes.

Funding will be dispersed to three organizations: Enriched Academy will receive $900,000 per year and the Canadian Foundation for Economic Education will receive $500,000 per year over the next three years. Meantime, Junior Achievement will receive $250,000 per year over the next three years to work with teachers to provide young learners in grades 3 to 6 with hands-on, experiential financial literacy programming, work readiness and entrepreneurship education.

“As a non-profit that has been active in the province for over 60 years, Junior Achievement knows how valuable our programming is for students, educators, and parents alike,” says Melissa From, JA CEO. “We are thankful for the broad support including financial literacy in the new K-6 curriculum has received and we are committed to supporting students with this and other important life skills education available through our global network with a made-in-Alberta approach.”

Education Minister Adriana LaGrange shared remarks, saying students are our future entrepreneurs, innovators and creators.

Last seen March 31

Missing: Eugenie Headman, 66, of Maskwacis

9h ago

mayor hopes to meet housing minister this month

Alberta demands Ottawa back off on housing funding stripped from Red Deer

Apr 02, 2026

Last seen Jan. 15

Missing: Courtney Cattleman, 17, of Maskwacis

Apr 02, 2026

“Understanding essential concepts such as income, expenses, interest, investing, saving and taxes will set them up for success and help them prosper in today’s changing world,” says LaGrange, MLA for Red Deer-North. “This investment into financial literacy programming will give Alberta’s next generation the much-needed financial knowledge and skills for personal and professional success.”

The Opposition’s Education Critic, Sarah Hoffman, responded, noting that there was relief from educators when topics like computer science, financial literacy and consent were included in the curriculum rewrite. However, the overall curriculum has not gained the same approval, she points out.

“It is going to set Alberta education and the students who receive that education back 50 years or more. Adriana LaGrange and the UCP continue to ignore the advice of experts and the pleas from teachers and families to scrap this curriculum, and will be forcing it on students in the fall. It has never been more clear that the UCP cannot be trusted with public education,” says Hoffman.

“Alberta students deserve a modern, inclusive, evidence-based curriculum that they can all see themselves in and will prepare them for higher learning, the world of work and how to be engaged citizens.”

Hoffman emphasized that an NDP government would stop the implementation of the curriculum, which she calls “horrible.”