North Andover Students Attend Financial Literacy Fair

At the end of the school year, students from TOP, a program of the Andover and North Andover public schools, attended the 3rd annual Financial Literacy Fair hosted by Melmark New England in Andover.

Knowing the importance of financial literacy Melmark offers this fair for its students, as well as those attending from public school districts in the region. More than 100 Melmark students along with 27 students, with 19 staff members, from five local districts participated. The program was made possible through a grant by the Massachusetts State Treasurer’s Financial Education Innovation Fund.

In advance of the Fair, classroom teachers prepare students with an overview and "roadmap" that included some information about the various booths and activities, including opportunities to earn incentives (an important tool in positive behavior support). Staff create picture icons and other adaptive instructional tools to accommodate students who are non-verbal, have other medical and intellectual disabilities and for whom traditional learning tools would not be appropriate.