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Goal

To begin, I would first like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone at Pinellas Education Foundation. Your continued support has introduced my students to life-changing concepts that they may have never learned otherwise.

We are living in unprecedented times. The past few years have been unlike any other during my lifetime. The future is filled with great uncertainty. Businesses have been forced to close, employees have lost their jobs, and high inflation is affecting all Americans. Now, more than ever, young people need to know about financial literacy and personal discipline. My goal is to inspire students to follow their dreams and overcome all stumbling blocks along the way.

With this proposed grant, I believe my students will learn vital life lessons from these books. I believe they are relatable and teach students to pursue their goals. Setting tough goals and chasing them with discipline is a cornerstone of a successful capitalist society. I believe these novels will help inspire students to become more financially literate.

I believe students of all ability levels will find these books impactful. I requested a wide variety of books, so students with lower reading comprehension levels can still get introduced to these concepts. Getting students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds to read novels is always a challenge. I believe they will find these books interesting and inspiring because, unfortunately, many of them have firsthand experience living in poverty.

Being able to comprehend what you read and think critically are invaluable life skills. According to Fast Company, the average CEO reads approximately 60 books per year. The world’s best and brightest minds are idea sponges who learn as much as they can from a variety of sources.

I also requested legal pads and pens for my students. When I listen to useful podcasts or read informative literature, I write down the applicable wisdom. Writing concepts down helps people remember and implement the ideas. Journaling is a regular part of my classroom instruction. To quote the very successful podcaster and comedian Joe Rogan, “Winners write things down.”

I would like to incorporate outside reading of novels about personal finance, real estate, taxes, discipline, fitness, health and nutrition, and habits into my English classes. I also will encourage students in my other class (AP Seminar) to check these books out from my classroom library, so more young people can be introduced to these topics. 

 

What will be done with my students

I would like to purchase books for my classroom’s library with this grant. I am requesting the following books to teach financial literacy: The Latte Factor by David Bach, Seven Years to Seven Figures by Michael Masterson, Tax-Free Wealth by Tom Wheelwright, and The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey.

The economy is changing at an unprecedented rate. Americans are struggling to keep up with the impacts of inflation. Real estate prices are through the roof. Our old model of work hard in school, work a career for 30-35 years, and contribute to your 401K is no longer realistic for many. These books will help students thrive in our new idea-based economy. They also show real-world examples of how Americans became millionaires by investing wisely and not wasting money on extravagant purchases. A common misperception of the wealthy is that they probably inherited their fortune. However, according to Dr. Thomas Stanley, 88% of American millionaires are self-made. These books also teach students how to acquire passive income through assets instead of purchasing liabilities. Stock-market investing is also covered in these pages.

Young people are forced to make some adult decisions in their teen years. They could join the military, learn a trade, or attend college. Most Lakewood students choose higher education. According to Dave Ramsey’s new documentary Borrowed Futures, of the two million students who entered college last year, 1.4 million took out student loans. Student loans are never forgivable, even if one files for bankruptcy. The total student loan debt in this country is $1.6 trillion. Since many of my students aspire to go on to higher education, I am requesting How to Graduate Debt Free by Kristina Ellis and Confessions of a Scholarship Winner by Kristina Ellis to help them avoid or minimize the huge burden of student loan debt.

I would also like to purchase a few inspirational books that teach goal setting, discipline, and overcoming adversity. Discipline and stick-to-itiveness are requirements to be successful in life and personal finance. Most of my students do not learn about goal setting, steps to accomplish their goals, financial discipline, and saving. The books I best believe will teach these life skills are Atomic Habits by James Clear, The TB-12 Method by Tom Brady, and Mamba Mentality by Kobe Bryant.

Another major concern among my students (and Americans as a whole) is declining physical health. According to the CDC, 60% of American adults have at least one chronic disease. In an effort to help my students learn how to make healthy choices, I have also requested Born to Run 2 by Christopher McDougall and Outlive by Dr. Peter Attia. 

 

Benefits to my students

The benefits of these novels are two-fold. First, my students will learn about goal setting, following your dreams, and overcoming obstacles. Second, they will learn specific, practical skills that will prepare them for the new global economy. The information found in these books have helped me immensely throughout my life. I only wish I knew about these ideas when I was my students’ age. The earlier people can get on the right path, the better.

One true honor of being a schoolteacher is introducing students to great literature—to get students to read books with wisdom that they can apply to real life. During my tenure in education, many students routinely borrowed books from my classroom library and excitedly told me about the things they learned. I want to continue and expand this tradition. These books will help students become lifelong learners. My hope is that my students will always be curious and become hungry to learn.

An additional benefit related to the grant is that I can share with them the lessons of scholarships and grants. If I win, I will break down how I won this grant and used it to purchase class supplies. I could compare grants for adults to college scholarships for high school students. The majority of our graduates go on to higher education and get into thousands of dollars of unforgivable student loan debt. This real-life example is a great way to open students’ eyes to the value of applying for scholarships.
 

 

Describe the Students

Located in South Saint Petersburg, Lakewood High School is very diverse racially and economically. More than 60 percent of the students are Black. Our student population includes many ESE students, immigrant students who are learning English as a second language, and young people who have personal problems and an unstable home life. The majority of LHS students come from low-income homes. Many of Lakewood's students are on free or reduced lunch. Most do not have successful economic role models in their lives. Unfortunately, this can create a mindset of thinking the deck is stacked against them or that it’s impossible to win. My intent is to not only teach students the necessary skills for success in life, but also to inspire them to truly believe they are capable of achieving success.
I try to convince my students to buy in to the idea of capitalism and the American Dream. I show my students through hard work and good decision-making that they will be able to thrive in America. If I win this grant, I can show them specific examples of people who did not inherit a penny but were able to become immensely successful in our great country. To quote President Obama, “As Americans, we enjoy more freedoms and opportunities than citizens of any other nation on Earth.” 

 

Budget Narrative

Thank you so much for considering my request. If I am fortunate enough to be awarded this grant, I know my students will be very appreciative. This also provides a great real-life example of what great things can happen when you try for something. I will teach my students that they could do the same for scholarships to college or in life.

One thing that has been really amazing about this grant is that some students who normally do not read from the assigned literary canon are eager to read and learn about finances. Because money is something teenagers know they will use in the real world, many Lakewood students have enthusiastically borrowed these books from me and discussed the concepts. I recall a student telling me, “Mr. Lippitt, you’re the only teacher who teaches us real stuff.”
Thank you again for your consideration, Pinellas Education Foundation. 

 

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