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A conversation with Nikki Swoboda, Marketing Director — NTC

So tell us, what’s new?

Our live, in-school education performance bookings have soared this year. After years of closures, and start-and-stop in-school programming, we are thrilled to see amplified enthusiasm for live, interactive events in K-12 schools. From September through December 2022, we visited over 1000 schools across the country, reaching more than half a million students and educators with live educational programming.

This reach also extended into lower-middle income (LMI) communities. In fall 2022, 49% of all schools served by NTC were in LMI communities within our clients’ service areas. That is 500 schools reached and over 250,000 students and families within LMI communities that engaged with sponsor-provided education programs in just four months. Numbers like that are gratifying to see.

Educator evaluations reveal encouraging data for the educational value of live events too. We are seeing measurements that indicate live programming having a bigger educational impact now than in the years before the pandemic shutdowns.

Digital engagement remains a successful tool for outreach programs, but our data is pointing to live, in-school engagements creating a stronger educational impact and extending further to historically excluded schools and communities. We are excited to have gained this better understanding of the strengths of different school outreach delivery methods, making our educational programming more valuable than ever.

What’s the impact this has had/or you hope it will have on moving financial literacy forward?

This reach into LMI communities, along with our ability to reach rural areas with financial literacy education outreach, is impacting communities that have traditionally lacked resources and programming. Our Mad About Money program toured schools in North Dakota in fall 2022, bringing financial literacy education to 6th-8th grade students in either remote rural areas or within traditional tribal lands. The live, interactive foundation of this programming was eagerly received. Educator feedback included:

“This endeavor is timely and relevant, allowing students to learn and reflect on respective actions in everyday life.”

-Gerick Dave Vender, Middle School Teacher, Mandaree Public School, Mandaree, ND

“I really liked how interactive this program was. I did notice students were engaged and seemed to enjoy the lesson.”

Diane Wittmayer, Middle School Teacher, Ojibwa Indian School, Belcourt, ND

“Good idea! More effective than a lecture!”

-Charles Ramsey, 6th Grade Teacher, Standing Rock Community School, Fort Yates, ND

How do we learn more?

You can learn more about our customizable, turnkey financial literacy education outreach and our Money Smart 2.0 online curriculum through this link: https://ntccorporate.com/financial-literacy-for-community-impact/

NTC is always looking to chat with financial service companies and organizations to explore how we can support bringing financial literacy education to schools in their communities.

What else are you working on?

NTC’s Mad About Money program is touring schools in Iowa in spring 2023, bringing financial literacy education to students in grades 5-8. The program includes an interactive live performance that integrates audience participation, making financial literacy topics both entertaining and educational. It is inspiring to see us reaching this crucial demographic, knowing that teaching critical financial skills to middle school students helps set them up for financial wellness into adulthood. The program also comes with a digital educational package to extend the learning into the classroom and into students’ homes. This includes the Money Smart 2.0 online curriculum, based on the FDIC’s Money Smart suite of products. We especially enjoy seeing the learning extend beyond the school walls and into students’ homes. The memorable engagement generated by the interactive performance encourages this extension. It is fun to see.

Tell us more about your organization

NTC is a premium provider of educational programming to over 1 million students and 3,000 schools per year with operations in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Since 1978, we have successfully delivered educational outreach programs on behalf of our clients to promote beneficial behaviors and life skills for K-12 students.
We specialize in fun, interactive programming delivered through both in-school events and livestream digital platforms. We employ live actor-educators to engage students and inspire active, life-long financial wellness. With our financial literacy programming, students are not talked at or told what to do. They are engaged to become active participants in educational offerings that encourage sustained adoption of life-long behaviors that influence generational wealth. Our creative approach helps make financial literacy education memorable and meaningful. We deliver education at scale that sticks with students and extends into communities.

Contact: Nikki Swoboda, Marketing Director
nswoboda@ntccorporate.com

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