Best Practices For Bringing Financial Literacy to Students
With Brittani LeJeune, Director of Curriculum at Aveda Arts & Sciences
Blog > Best Practices For Bringing Financial Literacy to Students
Qnity for Schools, creator of the MONEY EDU by Qnity program, is committed to bringing financial literacy to beauty and wellness students across North America. Recently, we had the pleasure of speaking with Brittani LeJeune, Director of Curriculum at Aveda Arts and Sciences, about their implementation of our MONEY EDU program. As one of the very first schools to adopt this curriculum, Aveda Arts and Sciences has been a trailblazer in prioritizing financial education for beauty students.
Aveda Arts & Sciences: Early Adopters & Innovators
Aveda Arts and Sciences was among the earliest, if not the first, to recognize the importance of comprehensive financial education in beauty schools. Their forward-thinking approach led them to implement the MONEY EDU program across all 18 of their campuses in 10 states, setting a new standard in the industry.
Brittani’s Personal Journey
Brittani's passion for financial education stems from her own experiences. Starting her beauty career with student loan debt, she learned the hard way about the importance of financial literacy, particularly in her case when it comes to understanding what it means to borrow money. Through dedication and education, she managed to pay off her loans 5 years early. Through her personal experience, this ignites her commitment to ensuring graduates have financial education before they enter the workforce.
“I never want our students to experience the financial stress I went through early in my career, that’s why I’m so passionate about bringing financial literacy education to Aveda Arts and Sciences.”
Implementing MONEY EDU at Aveda Arts and Sciences
As pioneers in implementing the program, Brittani offers valuable insights on how they've successfully integrated MONEY EDU into their curriculum:
1. Visual learning
Utilization of Qnity’s visual-thinking tools, such as the 9Grid™ helps students connect key concepts across various subjects.
2. Timing is key
They introduce the content when students start their clinic phase and begin thinking about graduation and their careers.
3. Tiered approach
They've created a system to fit essential modules into programs of different lengths.
4. Integration
Financial concepts are woven into other lessons; like resume building and mock interviews.
Advice for Schools
Many Aveda Institutes have been quick to adopt MONEY EDU. Aveda Arts and Sciences has taken a leading role in recognizing the importance of equipping the next generation of students with both technical skills and financial knowledge. Their early adoption and successful implementation of MONEY EDU serve as an inspiring model for other schools in the industry. To date, almost 40,000 students have benefited from this curriculum. In a time of legislative uncertainty, ensuring students have training on how to make and grow their income in their craft, understand different types of career options, and recognize the importance of reporting income for tax compliance is critical to elevating the education of the next generation of beauty and wellness professionals.
Drawing from Aveda’s experience as early adopters, Brittani recommends:
1. Identify passionate, effective trainers - they don't always need to be educators.
2. Ensure post-training support to help students apply concepts to real-world scenarios.
3. Be flexible and willing to adjust the implementation strategy based on student feedback.
MONEY EDU by Qnity is the premier financial literacy program tailored for beauty and wellness professionals, reaching nearly 40,000 students to date.
This initiative, brought to you by Qnity for Schools, complements your curriculum, equipping the next generation with essential financial training alongside technical training. With 8 modules and 40 visually stimulating lessons, you'll empower your students with training on critical topics such as financial pros and cons of each career path, tax compliance essentials, interpreting profit and loss statements, student loan repayment strategies, and so much more.
With hands-on support from our client success team, we work with each school to integrate seamlessly into your curriculum. Together, let's empower the next generation with technical AND financial education. Click here to learn more.
Want more?
Check out Qnity for Schools’ recent white paper on the state of financial literacy in beauty and wellness.
Ready for the full interview with Brittani? Click here to watch!