Learn Wall Street Teaches Teenagers the Power of Investing

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Oct 03, 2023, 16:25 ET

NEW YORK, Oct. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Learn Wall Street, a new after-school program that teaches teenagers about finance and investing, launched its first semester in September. The program is designed by a Harvard M.B.A. alumnus and utilizes a case study methodology to teach core principles through engaging storytelling.

"Financial knowledge is somewhat unique in comparison to other subjects like math or history," says Raji Khabbaz, co-founder of Learn Wall Street. "It's much more valuable the earlier you learn it in life because of the long-term power of compounding. Our students' youth is really a super-power. It gives them a very long investment horizon."

While there is a growing recognition of the importance of financial education for young people, there remains a large gap in the traditional school curriculums. Many online financial education apps, videos, and in-person programs, like the boot-camps, place perhaps too much focus on knowledge, things like theory and definitions, and too little on wisdom, which comes from experience.

We know that a little bit of knowledge without wisdom can be a dangerous thing. We have real-life examples to confirm that. Many new trading apps have made trading easy and accessible to the masses. However, they don't educate new investors about how to invest. Not surprisingly, most new investors lose money.

How do you give teenagers, who've never bought a stock investing wisdom? We use important case studies involving heroic Wall Street victories and catastrophic failures to teach the lessons. This helps us bridge the wisdom and experience gap. The case histories give them a mental library to access as they enter the investing world.

The other super important aspect of the case study approach is helps solve the Achilles' heel present in all financial education programs, teenager boredom. It's a huge obstacle to getting the students to engage. Dan Brown's, The Da Vinci Code, turned medieval history into a page-turner. Learn Wall Street trying to make finance and investing interesting in the same way.

The Learn Wall Street curriculum covers a variety of topics, including:

The Time Value of Money: How much did that pair of Nike shoes really cost you?
Risk and Reward: How Eddie Lampert became a billionaire investing in the two worst retailers in America.
What Determines Stock Price Movements: General Motors, the cursed value trap.
Introduction to Stock Valuation: How do you know if one painting is undervalued relative to another painting?
The Cost of Capital: How would you like to buy a hotel resort for one dollar?

"A strong introduction to the principles of investing will have a profoundly positive impact on the students' long-term well-being," says Mr. Khabbaz. "The development of critical thinking and decision-making skills greatly improves cognitive development."

Learn Wall Street is open to teenagers in grades 9-12. Classes are held once a week for a semester.

"We want to give teenagers the knowledge and skills they need to make smart financial decisions," said Mr. Khabbaz. "We believe that financial education is essential for success in today's world.

Learn Wall Street is now accepting registrations for the Spring 2024 semester. To learn more visit www.LearnWallStreet.org.

Contact: Raji Khabbaz, CEO, [email protected]

SOURCE Learn Wall Street