Students learn to 'Take Charge' of financial future

“I wish I knew about (blank) when I was younger.”

North Star High School business teacher Shannon Quible frequently hears this phrase, with people filling in the blank with words like “saving money” or “credit scores” or “college scholarships.”

Then she mentally goes through the checklist of what students learn in the Take Charge career readiness and financial responsibility course, which is mandatory for LPS juniors as part of their career education graduation requirements.

It’s usually “we teach that, we teach that, we teach that,” Quible said.

LPS has offered and required the course since the 2013-14 school year. Students learn a combination of career and personal finance content, including writing resumes, gauging career interests, planning their finances and exploring college or employment options after high school. They also go through mock interviews and job shadow a professional in a field of their choice.

“The life skills taught in Take Charge are important for all students,” said Julie Hippen, LPS assistant curriculum specialist for career and technical education.

The semester-long course also includes a variety of guest speakers, including representatives from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Southeast Community College, Nebraska Wesleyan University, a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, EducationQuest and Gallup.

Quible said she believes strongly in the importance of the course. “I’ll have former students come back and say how much they used what they learned,” she said.


Published: February 14, 2018, Updated: February 13, 2019

"I’ll have former students come back and say how much they used what they learned."

Shannon Quible, business teacher, North Star High School