◇ Program summary
1. Angela Alsobrooks made history when she was elected to the Maryland U.S. Senate
Democrat Angela Alsobrooks wins Maryland Senate seat, becoming the state’s first black senator. Her rival in the blue state is former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, a popular candidate. The closely watched election, with control of the Senate at stake, saw Democrats lose their slim majority despite Alsobrooks’ win.
Alsobrooks focused his campaign on abortion rights, and Maryland this year passed a referendum that would enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. She emphasized that she will continue to work hard to improve the economy and community safety, especially to protect the rights of voters in personal medical decisions.
Hogan campaigned on being an independent voice in Washington, but Alsobrooks pointed to his conservative stance on abortion. In addition, Alsobrooks also received the support of Vice President Kamala Harris, and the two jointly called for stronger gun control policies.
Alsobrooks currently serves as executive of Prince George’s County, Maryland’s second-largest county, and formerly served as the county’s chief prosecutor. She promised to bring her experience in local governance to the Senate to serve the entire state.
2. Montgomery County Schools launches “Virtual Financial Management” financial and business courses to help students master financial management skills
Middle schools and high schools in Montgomery County, Maryland, have launched a “Cash Out” financial curriculum, led by Whitney Ramirez, program director at Diapers 2 Deposits. The course, offered free of charge through the county’s Excel Beyond the Bell program, is held after school and during lunch hours and teaches students how to open a bank account, create a budget, manage credit cards and other financial basics.
After entering the course, junior high school students will learn the basics of investment. They use a virtual $10,000 to invest and choose companies that they believe will develop in the long term. After investing, students can’t wait to view their virtual portfolios and experience the real fluctuations of the market.
Courses for high school students focus more on budgeting and the use of credit. One simulation exercise gave students a virtual $10,000 to “dispose of” for a year, and then told them they would have to pay back a total of $13,000 with interest. Many students choose to give up this “loan” after learning about the high interest rates, thus deepening their understanding of the cost of borrowing.
Ramirez hopes to extend the course to more schools in the future and advance financial and business education to the fourth and fifth grade of elementary school. One student reported, “We should have been taught this earlier, before we got our first paycheck!”
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