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education

5 mins read

10 Ways to Teach Financial Literacy to Black Children

Financial literacy is an essential skill that everyone needs to have, but unfortunately, it is not taught in most schools, and many parents do not prioritize teaching their children about it. This lack of financial education has a significant impact on Black children and their families, as they are often more likely to experience financial hardships and inequality.

Teaching Black children about financial literacy can help them develop healthy financial habits and make informed decisions that will benefit them in the long term. Here are some ways to teach Black children about financial literacy:

1. Start early

Financial literacy should be taught to children from a young age. Even preschoolers can learn basic concepts such as the value of money and saving. Teaching children about money early on helps them to develop good habits and gives them a head start in understanding financial concepts.

2. Use relatable examples

When teaching children about financial literacy, it is important to use examples that are relatable to their lives. For example, you can use examples of how they can save money from their allowance or use their birthday money to buy something they really want. By using examples that are relevant to their lives, children are more likely to understand and remember the lessons.

3. Teach them about budgeting

Teaching children about budgeting is an important part of financial literacy. Show them how to create a budget and stick to it. Teach them how to prioritize their expenses and save for big purchases. Children who learn how to budget at an early age are more likely to be financially responsible as adults.

4. Teach them about credit

Credit is an important part of the financial world, but it is often misunderstood. Teach children about credit, how it works, and how to use it responsibly. Teach them about the importance of building good credit and how it can impact their financial future.

5. Teach them about saving

Saving is an important habit to develop from an early age. Teach children about the importance of saving money, and show them how to save for different things, such as a college education or a down payment on a home. Encourage them to save a portion of their allowance or any money they receive as gifts.

6. Teach them about investing

Investing is a powerful tool for building wealth, but it can also be complex and intimidating. Teach children about investing, the different types of investments, and how to invest in a responsible and safe way. Explain the concept of compound interest and how it can help their savings grow over time.

7. Teach them about taxes

Taxes are a part of life, and it is important for children to understand how they work. Teach children about taxes, why we pay them, and how they impact our lives. Explain to them how taxes are used to pay for public services like schools, roads, and emergency services.

8. Use games and activities

Games and activities can be a fun way to teach children about financial literacy. There are many board games and online games that teach children about money and financial concepts. You can also create your own games and activities, such as a savings challenge or a budgeting exercise.

9. Teach them about entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is a great way to build wealth and create a better future for oneself. Teach children about entrepreneurship, how to start a business, and how to manage the finances of a business. Encourage them to think creatively and come up with their own business ideas.

10. Be a good role model

Children learn by example, so it is important to be a good role model when it comes to finances. Show your children how to manage money responsibly, and demonstrate good financial habits. Talk to them about your own experiences with money, both good and bad, and teach them how to learn from mistakes.

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1 min read

How to Make $5,000 a Month Running a Trucking Business From Home

Pierre Laguerre is the founder of Fleeting, a trucking and fleet management services company that he grew to $4.5 million in revenue in just 3 years. He is also the first Black man to raise over $1 million via crowdfunding platforms.

In this interview, Pierre shares:

  • Thoughts on the current state of the trucking industry
  • How to get into trucking without being a driver
  • Removing the misconceptions attached to trucking
  • Why investors like the trucking industry
  • How a personal tragedy inspired him to educate others
  • Topics included in his new trucking course

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-Tony O. Lawson

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4 mins read

Sextech: The $37 Billion Sexual Wellness & Education Industry That No One is Talking About

The sex technology or sextech industry has grown rapidly in recent years, with a lot more growth predicted in coming years.

According to Statista, the sexual wellness market was valued at $26 billion in 2017 and is forecasted to reach about $37.2 billion by 2023.

The sextech market does not gain as much attention as other tech sectors such as fintech, robotics, AI, etc. This is most likely due to the taboo and stigma attached to the term.

Let’s find out how the sextech industry is revolutionizing sexual and wellness education and experience.

What Is Sextech?

Wikipedia describes sextech as “Sex technology is a technology and technology-driven ventures that are designed to enhance, innovate, and disrupt human sexuality or the human sexual experience.”

In simpler terms, sex technology is more than just sex robots. Entrepreneurs are coming up with brilliant and innovative ideas to apply sextech in sexual education, spreading awareness about good sexual practices.

Information about attitudes and sexual wellness is being made mainstream and accessible through this, too. There are quite a few smart ventures coming along to make that happen. 

Why Is Sextech Booming?

The sexual wellness market is booming at a rapid pace. According to the Sexual Wellness Market – Global Outlook & Forecast 2021-2026, the market is expected to reach USD 45.05 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 7.83%. This report highlights the following factors to be the main contributors to the market development

  • Increased digital marketplace penetration
  • Increasing usage of dating applications in the APAC region
  • Growth promoted by sexual wellness festivals, trade shows, and expos
  • Increase in government initiatives to distribute free contraceptives

These are not the only reasons behind the growth of the industry. Millennials and Gen Z are much more open to sexual conversations and preferences. They have indeed grown up with pornography as the primary source of sexual education, but they are much more open to exploring new avenues and prioritizing sexual wellness.

Industry Trends

Sexual Wellness

One of the most promising areas the sextech industry is opening is sexual wellness as a lifestyle. Quite a few prominent names are taking this avenue.

Sexual Education & Good Practice Cultivation

Millennials and Gen Z rarely had healthy sexual education alternatives other than porn because there were sexual education initiatives in schools or conversations by adults around them, albeit nascent. Cindy Gallop, founder and CEO of MakeLoveNotPorn took a brilliant initiative to mainstream content to promote consent, good sexual values, and attitudes.

Sexual Experience

The sextech industry is also promoting the option to explore more ways to enhance the sexual experience for everyone, including people with disabilities. 

Sexual technology is providing a lot of options for better accessibility to real-world sexual education and sexual wellness products or services as well as information about good sexual practices, and behaviors.

The industry is finding an increasingly large consumer base. Investors are not as hesitant about investing in this sector. Therefore, the sector is picking up pace and is expected to expand rapidly.

2 mins read

157 Year Old HBCU, Lincoln College Now Closed Following Covid-19 And Cyberattack Related Struggles

Lincoln College survived the economic crisis of 1887, a major campus fire in 1912, the Spanish flu of 1918, the Great Depression, World War II, the 2008 global financial crisis, and more.

Unfortunately, the Illinois-based institution has finally met its match and closed its doors for good today.

Despite record-breaking student enrollment in Fall 2019, the coronavirus pandemic dramatically impacted recruitment and fundraising efforts, sporting events, and all campus life activities.

lincoln college
Ke’Shawn Hess, a business student at Lincoln College | Credit: (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)/Chicago Tribune via AP)

The economic burdens initiated by the pandemic required large investments in technology and campus safety measures, as well as a significant drop in enrollment with students choosing to postpone college or take a leave of absence, which impacted the institution’s financial position.

According to a statement on the school website, Lincoln College was also a victim of a cyberattack in December 2021 that thwarted admissions activities and hindered access to all institutional data, creating an unclear picture of Fall 2022 enrollment projections.

All systems required for recruitment, retention, and fundraising efforts were inoperable. Fortunately, no personal identifying information was exposed. Once fully restored in March 2022, the projections showed significant enrollment shortfalls, requiring a transformational donation or partnership to sustain Lincoln College beyond the current semester.

A Facebook group called Save Lincoln College tried unsuccessfully to help the school keep its doors open. The school, named after President Abraham Lincoln, held its final graduation last week.

“Everyone started leaving and we said our goodbyes, but we kind of realized we weren’t coming back,” a student said. “Other universities are offering them tuition and allowing them to start into the programs there but there’s never going to be a place like Lincoln.”

 

Tony O. Lawson


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3 mins read

Florida Teen Accepted into 27 Colleges, Receives $4 Million in Scholarships

Jonathan Walker, a high school senior from Florida, has been accepted into almost 30 of the most prestigious colleges in the country and has more than $4 million in scholarships offers.

Walker has applied to 27 colleges, and all 27 have accepted him.

“It’s so crazy to think about, that I applied to all these colleges and I got in because that’s such a rare thing to occur. But the fact that it did happen, I’m so excited about it,” Walker said.

Stanford, Harvard, Yale, and Duke were among the 27 schools he was admitted into.

Walker is still trying to whittle down the choices and take a few more college visits, with under a month to make a decision.

“The whirlwind of like decisions coming back, that’s over now. So I’ve just really been trying to soak it in just how much of a blessing that this is that I got into these colleges. So just like sitting back, smelling the roses,” Walker said.

Walker hopes to pursue a career creating medical devices to serve underprivileged communities and he’s already working on multiple patents.

Walker invented a braille system, created an air filter to turn gas emissions into oxygen, and created a pill dispenser to keep track of drugs— on a TI-84 calculator.

florida
Jonathan Walker with his invention

“Right now, I’m very interested in engineering and entrepreneurship. I’ve always loved creating devices to help people so I definitely want to further that,” Walker said. “I’m looking at majoring in electrical engineering and possibly biomedical engineering to hopefully develop medical technology in order to help disadvantaged communities that have health problems.”

He said he’s working with colleges to create his own major.

Walker plans to study engineering, computer science, business and psychology, in hopes of one day creating his own company.

“Jonathan has not been a typical student. He has continued to persevere despite all the challenges that we faced you know with the hurricane,” Rutherford High School IB and AP Coordinator Cathy Rutland said.

Walker has also played on the Rams football team for the past four years while maintaining a 4.85 GPA.

4 mins read

Pierre Laguerre Launches Academy To Show How He Created a Multi-Million Dollar Trucking Business

Pierre Laguerre is the founder of Fleeting, a trucking and fleet management services company that he grew to $4.5 million in revenue in just 3 years. Pierre is also the first Black man to raise over $1 million via crowdfunding platforms.

To show others how he raised capital for his trucking business and how he has managed to run it so successfully, he is launching  Pierre’s Academy, a comprehensive entrepreneurial trucking academy.

We caught up with him to find out more about this new venture and why he is passionate about it.

Pierre Laguerre
Pierre Laguerre

Why did you decide to launch Pierre’s Academy?

After spending 19 years in the trucking industry as a driver and a successful entrepreneur myself, I eventually learned that 40% of the workforce in this $800 billion industry are minorities. Notice, I said workforce, not business owners!

I quickly realized this was an untapped market for minorities to become entrepreneurs and build generational wealth. Not that minorities don’t know this market exists, they just never have been exposed to the business side of the transportation industry.

I decided to launch Pierre’s Academy to teach aspiring entrepreneurs about the business opportunities in trucking. I want to teach as many people how to build their own trucking dispatching business or their trucking companies right in the comfort of their homes.

I want to show them how to make six figures while adding value to one of the most critical stakeholders in trucking, our truckers.

Who is this course for?

This course is pretty much for anyone that’s seeking financial freedom. Everyone from stay-at-home moms that are looking to maximize their earnings, to young men and women from underserved communities who are desperately looking for a way out of their current circumstances.

How is this course different from others?

There are a lot of social media influencers who teach trucking but the majority of them have never spent a day in a trucking operation, nor have they built or managed a business and a team. Their goal is to sell courses instead of adding value and solving a specific problem in trucking,. They often do this at the expense of minorities looking for an opportunity.

So, one of the main reasons why my courses are different from others is the fact that I actually drove trucks for 19 years, I built a staffing agency and a trucking company to $4.5M in revenue in 3 years, and I’m currently the founder and CEO of a transportation tech company called Fleeting which I launched in 2019 and already did over $5m in revenue.

In other words, they get to learn directly from an industry veteran who has done the work and also failed numerous times. With my courses, they can start earning right away after completion.

What information can potential students expect to receive from the course?

The first and most important information students can expect to receive from this course is how to make money in trucking without being a driver. They can expect to learn about every stakeholder in transportation and the challenges they face daily.

They will learn how to build and maintain relationships with key partners ( shippers, carriers, freight brokers, and truck drivers),  the industry dos and don’ts as well as how to communicate effectively.

Students will learn how to start their business from scratch with no prior experience and how to quickly scale. I will also provide one-on-one coaching and support.

Visit Pierre online for more information about course registration or a one-on-one consultation.

2 mins read

Chicago Student Achieves the First Perfect ACT Score in his School’s History

Mario Hoover, a student at Providence St. Mel School in Chicago achieved a perfect score on the ACT standardized college admissions test.

The perfect score of 36 is the highest any student performed on the test in the prestigious private school’s 42-year history.

The bright and ambitious junior was born and raised on the West Side. He studied hard to earn a high score because he dreams of being a neurosurgeon.

Mario said that he hopes his accomplishment encourages others in the neighborhood to recognize they are capable of excellence.

mario hoover

“It means that not only can I achieve this. But others can as well. It breaks the notion that people from the West Side can’t succeed,” Hoover said. “I hope people look at me and think they can do it as well.”

His success is proof that when young people are lifted up and given quality resources and opportunities, they can achieve beyond expectations, Hoover also said.

“Not everybody has the best access to education. But once provided with those tools and resources to succeed, a lot of people have the potential to. I see potential everywhere as I walk through my neighborhood,” Hoover said.

He has his sights set on the Ivy League and hopes to go to Columbia University in New York. According to his mother, he has already been contacted by the school.

“I get emotional because it is a great accomplishment,” she said. “It’s a huge accomplishment for our neighborhood and for our family.”

4 mins read

Homeschooling Among Black Families Is on the Rise

While once considered an option for white, middle-class families who opted out of traditional or private schools to focus on their children’s education through a religious lens, homeschooling has begun to gain traction among Black families during the pandemic.

A recent U.S. Census Bureau report showed that homeschooling rates quintupled amongst Black families, with the proportion of homeschooling increasing from 3.3% in the spring of 2020 to 16.1% in the fall of 2020. Though we’ll note that the number may not be completely accurate, due to many children choosing to remote learn in response to the pandemic.

Even so, the numbers signal a significant increase in the number of black children being homeschooled and indicate a trend among the Black population in America.

Micro-Aggressions and Bullying

In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic forcing many students into online learning environments, there are many other reasons for Black parents to homeschool their children. Didakeje Griffin, for instance, told NPR that she wanted to protect her children from bullies as well as COVID-19. Schools across the country report an increase in bullying affecting Black children recently, some with irreversible, and devastating effects, such as the suicide of Isabella “Izzy” Tichenor.

Similar to the workplace microaggressions adults face, some kids are subject to embarrassing (and even dangerous) encounters with classmates and teachers based on their race. Based on a 2014 study by the Office for Civil Rights of the US Department of Education, Black students are suspended at three times the rate of white students and have higher chances of being reprimanded. The Association for Psychological Science reported in 2015 that Black students are more likely to be labeled “troublemakers” by teachers.

These statistics have contributed to the distrust in the education system among parents and guardians of Black children.

A 2022 Children Now report, which grades California outcomes for children, says overt and systemic racism adds to the pressures on Black youths. Kelly Hardy, senior managing director of health and research for Children said, “What we are seeing as far as causes are that there is overt and systemic racism that is putting additional pressures on Black youth. And that our Black young people are over-policed and under-resourced.”

Educational Freedom

Beyond the racial tensions developing in and out of schools, many black parents and caregivers cite educational freedom as a reason to homeschool their children, allowing them to learn and celebrate their own culture. Whether intentional or subconsciously Black educational freedom can be stifled in mainstream white-dominant educational institutions.

Moreover, homeschooling can bring out the best in Black children. It allows their creativity to flow without the fear of getting in trouble for being different or disruptive.

Community Building

Many Black families are finding a community through homeschooling. Parents and caregivers are discovering that there are networks of Black homeschoolers in their area and all over the country. In fact, many communities even have their own community association so homeschooling families of color can find and support each other.

Homeschooling allows children the freedom to ask questions and learn without a strict curriculum. It also allows them to connect with their culture.

Have you started homeschooling your children? Comment below to let us know how it has benefited your children.

 

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3 mins read

13 Year Old Caleb Anderson Begins Aerospace Engineering Program at Georgia Tech

Aerospace engineering major 13-year-old Caleb Anderson started the Fall 2021 semester as the youngest student enrolled at Georgia Tech.

“This is the kind of school I have been wanting to go to for a very long time, and I am finally here,” he told Tech officials on Monday.

As the youngest student on campus, Anderson’s parents Kobi and Claire Anderson were there to offer support and bear witness to their teenaged son taking this remarkable step. As they watched him, they beamed with pride while balancing both worry and reassurance.

“Have we prepared him enough?” his mother asked out loud. “Have we taught him enough about failure?”

His father, however, felt confident. “He’s willing to be stretched,” he said. “He knows how to get back from a punch … and continues to strive.”

The family recognizes that even at his young age, Anderson is an inspiration to African American boys and young men aspiring to succeed in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields.

His story, Claire Anderson hopes, will “shift the perspective of what you see when you see a young Black man. This could be a future aerospace engineer.”

Still, Anderson remains a young teen who likes sleeping in and admits to being guilty of procrastinating. Things don’t come easy for him, and he knows that he has to put in work to be successful. Yet, as he took in everything around him Monday from his integral calculus class, the young genius was able to acknowledge his wonder and humility at it all.

“Wow, maybe I am advanced,” he said.

His parents are happy to see their son take this extraordinary step toward his future.

“I am really proud of him, but I am really grateful to Georgia Tech for opening a door of opportunity to a student like Caleb,” Claire Anderson said.

Anderson said he plans to earn a master’s degree from Georgia Tech after completing his undergraduate studies, and eventually work with the SpaceX program before starting his own company.

Ultimately, he said he wants to make sure other young gifted students have the opportunities he is now enjoying.

“I want to help others that may just need nurturing and resources,” Anderson said.

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2 mins read

Clark Atlanta University cancels student account balances for 2020-2021 school year

Clark Atlanta University announced this week that they will cancel student account balances from the spring 2020 semester through the summer 2021 semester.

University President Dr. George T. French said all student account balances from that time period will be brought to zero. The relief also applies to alumni.

“We understand these past two academic years have been emotionally and financially difficult on students and their families due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That is why we will continue to do all we can to support their efforts to complete their CAU education,” said President French. “We care about students and want to lighten their individual and family’s financial load so they can continue their journey in pursuing and attaining their educational and professional goals.”

French said the university’s ability to provide relief is due to the substantial amount of support it has gotten from the federal government under the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.

With the funds, CAU has been able to provide emergency financial aid dollars, refund some housing and meal charges, discount tuition and fees for the 2020-2021 school year, buy WIFI hot spots for students with no internet at home and buy 4,000 laptops for every financially enrolled student.

This initiative will not impact students’ future financial aid eligibility because it is a one-time outstanding balance cancelation.

Clark Atlanta University isn’t the first HBCU to help students financially because of the pandemic.
In May, Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio, announced it will cancel student debt for 2020 and 2021 graduates. The president of the university said at the time that the total amount of cleared debt would be more than $375,000.

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