Skyler Harwood Earns Distinguished Recognition as 2024 Financial Education Instructor of the Year

Skyler bases her financial education efforts on student-led learning that embraces the NFEC’s holistic approach to instruction. Rather than lecture, she views her educational objectives as a challenge and designs her lessons to be active, engaging, and encouraging so students are prepared to take control of their own personal finances in an age-appropriate way.

Skyler created a life-sized budgeting board game called Adulting 101 that teaches middle schoolers how to work together as families to make strong financial decisions. She also re-opened two student-run credit union branches after their COVID-19 closure. These innovative branches are run by high school students, with a goal of teaching financial literacy in schools.

When Skyler began her tenure as Youth & Community Education Coordinator with Corning Credit Union, their programming focused narrowly on college-bound high school students. With her BS in Education from Bucknell University, she drew upon her background in early childhood education, working tirelessly to expand the program’s reach to include students from preschool through college age. Additionally, Skyler networks with other financial educators across the U.S. to collaborate, help expand financial literacy programs, and hone her educational skills.

Skyler’s framework for teaching personal finance centers around four pillars she calls the “Four Es”: Education, Empathy, Encouragement, and Empowerment. This framework is structured around learning objectives and approaches students with empathy, encouraging them to do their best and giving them the courage to try out new skills. As students become empowered to explore finances in the real world, learning doesn’t end when they leave the classroom; they build on those lessons to move toward becoming financially successful adults.