About Lighthouse For Dreams
What is Lighthouse for Dreams?
Lighthouse for Dreams is a community outreach program developed and coordinated by the Department of Finance in the University of Central Florida’s College of Business Administration. The mission of Lighthouse for Dreams is to illuminate pathways to financial empowerment for Florida's citizens by offering flexible, readily accessible financial education at the community level. Lighthouse for Dreams is committed to helping Floridians develop the skills they need to thrive in a fast-paced, growing global economy.
The financial landscape of the 21st century is dynamic and complex. Consumers are faced with a staggering array of financial products and services to choose from. In recent decades, rising bankruptcy rates and falling savings rates among American families have made it increasingly apparent that achieving financial success is no simple task.
However, the skills that are so critical to making wise financial choices aren’t generally taught as part of a traditional educational curriculum. Yet for those who lack such skills, achieving financial security can seem like little more than a dream.
Lighthouse for Dreams was created because we believe in that dream, and we believe that financial education can light the way to it.
Financial education provides learners with the resources and skills they need to bring their dreams into reality.
You provide the dream. We provide the education.
What does Lighthouse for Dreams do?
Lighthouse for Dreams provides schools and community programs with trained volunteers who teach students the fundamentals of sound personal financial management. The financial education courses offered through Lighthouse for Dreams can be taught as part of a class or as a stand-alone program.
The primary curriculum used by Lighthouse for Dreams is the National Endowment for Financial Education’s High School Financial Planning Program® . The program includes a comprehensive student workbook and numerous online resources for students and educators.
The curriculum, which contains seven independent modules, is flexible and can be adapted to a variety of age groups and audiences. Educators may select a single module which they feel to be most relevant to their students, or they may request that the entire curriculum be taught over a period of weeks or months.
