Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
A year. Yeah, last year.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Last school year, my younger kid took a financial literacy class.
I don't remember exactly what the title of the class
was in high school, and we talked about it a
fair bit because you probably know my background is finance,
and it occurred to me at the time when we
were talking about things like balancing a checkbook, investing in
(00:22):
the stock market, insurance, all these things, it occurred to me,
they should all have to take this class. Why is
this class even? Why is it optional? Why is it
in mandatory? And my next guest, I'm sure agrees. Elena
Zarnowski is founder of kid Laboratories.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
That website is kid laboratories.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Dot com, and she's got a lot of thoughts on this,
including the idea of financial literacy potentially to be thought
of as a STEM skill. So I think I'll shut
up and invite Elena into the conversation. Now, welcome to Kowa,
Thanks for being here, and why don't you just pick
up where I left off?
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Okay, great, Yeah, So STEM education is wonderful and it
offers us two main things, that's growth and innovation. But
that's just one part of the equation. And we've seen
some fruitfulness over the last couple decades, rather focusing on
STEM education. However, the other part of that equation is
good financial management and fiscal responsibility. And I just listened
(01:20):
to your show last week, and I think there was
some complications with some financial management in the state of Colorado.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
So it's very apparent there as well. But what we
do here at kid Laboratories.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Is if we really want something like sustainable prosperity, we
need to start teaching kids about being physically responsible, and
we offer course content for parents to start being the
first educator for students from six years old all the
way up to sixteen.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Do you do you think that this very digital world
that we live in now.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Adds to or modifies what the proper content is of
a financial literacy course for kids. Is there is there
stuff that you would only need to know now or
is it really all kind of.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
The same as it has been for a while.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Yes, So there's two parts of that answer that question.
So first and foremost, there's the legacy content. And I
read about this in my book. I have a book
coming out and December, future Proof Kids, all about the
skills needed for the future. So yes, there's legacy there's
central tenets of finance that will never change savings, earning, you.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
Know, investing xyz.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
However, because there's new platforms and we are in the
you know, next gen of finance, there's new complications that
we need to be very aware and I read about
these in my book. There's you know, a click to
buy fomo. There's ecological economics. I was at economics in
math major in college, and not once did we talk
about natural resources as part of the bottom line.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
There's conscious spending.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
I don't know about you, but in all of my friends,
we get boxes from Amazon to livature a house days
and my kids just think they magically appear. So it's
something that we need to start bridging that conversation.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
You know, the buy now, the click to buy fomo trap.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
It's just something that we need to control the narrative on.
And this is something I am very passionate about because
I teach other courses on AI of an AI workshop
for AI literacy as well as character development.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
And goal setting.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
So as a parent, I always am a parent first
and everything else second.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
I want to control the narrative. I want to start these.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Conversations with them because whether we like it or not.
They are learning through osmosis. They're picking up conversations that
they hear at school, they're picking up conversations what they
see on social media rather, and they're picking up you know,
content through osmosis by things that they over here.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
So what I did right.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Now as a parent, I really want to control the
narrative on every new technology that's coming out, and especially
financial literacy as well. So what I have done is
created this curriculum for my kids so I can, you know,
basically control the narrative and frontload them with information on finance,
AI and character development and goal setting. So when they're
(04:09):
out there, we already we are already have these discussions.
We're not going to you know, read the repercussions of
the social influence.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
I just want to mention something to you.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
It's kind of relevant and maybe for your use. So
my kid is online a lot. A lot of his
friends are people he's talking to on the headphones while
playing Fortnite, and they have all these platforms that they
use to talk to each other, twitch discord this stuff
that I barely understand. One of the things my son
told me is that an immense number of people on
(04:40):
these platforms are sponsored by online gambling websites and they
are pitching to kids, and kids are finding a way
to get get money somehow electronically turn it into cryptocurrency,
depositing the cryptocurrency and offshore gambling webs sites, and.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Essentially playing slot machines.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
My son had a friend lose forty dollars in front
of him in class a couple of weeks ago, and
another friend lost like had done really well, made a
bunch of money and lost.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
All of it.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
And I'm talking about a seven figure number now lost
all of it in online gambling that's being targeted to kids.
So I think that might be an interesting thing to
keep an eye out for.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
You want to add anything, Well, the all.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
Prelude to my courses. So my book that's coming out,
future Proof Kids.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
It gives the three lessons that I teach online virtually
over the summer, money Wise, AI Workshop and character Development
goal set of course I called goal Getter.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
So the first chapter of the book is my called appearance.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
If you're a parent of Alpha generation zero to fourteen
years old, today, we need to start a less tech
revolution and this is os controlling the narrative around tech
exposure to tech. This scenario could be very much controlled
if we just had parameters around tech, around social acception
and cultural acceptance, about how much tech is available to
(06:05):
our children, and create some values and ethics. This is
something that's completely absent in the development of AI right now,
is ethics and parameters.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
So as parents, it's our responsibility, I think, our duty.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
I also talk about somebody called the ten year test
in my book is basically, before you do anything with
your child, give it the ten year test. What could
possibly happen or quote unquote go wrong over the next
ten years if we implement this in our lifestyle.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
So it's a pause.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
It's time for us all as parents to take a
pause and to reflect and then take back control and
start to work together.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
I have a number of free workshops I'm putting on.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
The rest of this year in December and October and November,
even for grandparents to want to bridge these gaps, the
legacy conversations.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
They want to have money. It's my calling and.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
What I just think, what if over the next ten
years we work together as parents of Alpha generation and
create this categorical shift.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
It's totally possible.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
They do all over the world in different countries, and
we can see their model and then adopt and adapt.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Elena Chara.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Elena Sarnowski's website is Kidlaboratories dot com. She's the founder
of kid Laboratories, sometimes called America's STEM teacher. Elena, thanks
for the interesting conversation. I love the idea of a
less tech movement. I'll get back to that at some
point on the show. I think that's a great idea.
Thanks for your time. Thanks, bye bye.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
We'll take a quick break. We'll be right back on
Kawa
A year. Yeah, last year.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Last school year, my younger kid took a financial literacy class.
I don't remember exactly what the title of the class
was in high school, and we talked about it a
fair bit because you probably know my background is finance,
and it occurred to me at the time when we
were talking about things like balancing a checkbook, investing in
(00:22):
the stock market, insurance, all these things, it occurred to me,
they should all have to take this class. Why is
this class even? Why is it optional? Why is it
in mandatory? And my next guest, I'm sure agrees. Elena
Zarnowski is founder of kid Laboratories.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
That website is kid laboratories.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Dot com, and she's got a lot of thoughts on this,
including the idea of financial literacy potentially to be thought
of as a STEM skill. So I think I'll shut
up and invite Elena into the conversation. Now, welcome to Kowa,
Thanks for being here, and why don't you just pick
up where I left off?
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Okay, great, Yeah, So STEM education is wonderful and it
offers us two main things, that's growth and innovation. But
that's just one part of the equation. And we've seen
some fruitfulness over the last couple decades, rather focusing on
STEM education. However, the other part of that equation is
good financial management and fiscal responsibility. And I just listened
(01:20):
to your show last week, and I think there was
some complications with some financial management in the state of Colorado.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
So it's very apparent there as well. But what we
do here at kid Laboratories.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Is if we really want something like sustainable prosperity, we
need to start teaching kids about being physically responsible, and
we offer course content for parents to start being the
first educator for students from six years old all the
way up to sixteen.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Do you do you think that this very digital world
that we live in now.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Adds to or modifies what the proper content is of
a financial literacy course for kids. Is there is there
stuff that you would only need to know now or
is it really all kind of.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
The same as it has been for a while.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Yes, So there's two parts of that answer that question.
So first and foremost, there's the legacy content. And I
read about this in my book. I have a book
coming out and December, future Proof Kids, all about the
skills needed for the future. So yes, there's legacy there's
central tenets of finance that will never change savings, earning, you.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
Know, investing xyz.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
However, because there's new platforms and we are in the
you know, next gen of finance, there's new complications that
we need to be very aware and I read about
these in my book. There's you know, a click to
buy fomo. There's ecological economics. I was at economics in
math major in college, and not once did we talk
about natural resources as part of the bottom line.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
There's conscious spending.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
I don't know about you, but in all of my friends,
we get boxes from Amazon to livature a house days
and my kids just think they magically appear. So it's
something that we need to start bridging that conversation.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
You know, the buy now, the click to buy fomo trap.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
It's just something that we need to control the narrative on.
And this is something I am very passionate about because
I teach other courses on AI of an AI workshop
for AI literacy as well as character development.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
And goal setting.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
So as a parent, I always am a parent first
and everything else second.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
I want to control the narrative. I want to start these.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Conversations with them because whether we like it or not.
They are learning through osmosis. They're picking up conversations that
they hear at school, they're picking up conversations what they
see on social media rather, and they're picking up you know,
content through osmosis by things that they over here.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
So what I did right.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Now as a parent, I really want to control the
narrative on every new technology that's coming out, and especially
financial literacy as well. So what I have done is
created this curriculum for my kids so I can, you know,
basically control the narrative and frontload them with information on finance,
AI and character development and goal setting. So when they're
(04:09):
out there, we already we are already have these discussions.
We're not going to you know, read the repercussions of
the social influence.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
I just want to mention something to you.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
It's kind of relevant and maybe for your use. So
my kid is online a lot. A lot of his
friends are people he's talking to on the headphones while
playing Fortnite, and they have all these platforms that they
use to talk to each other, twitch discord this stuff
that I barely understand. One of the things my son
told me is that an immense number of people on
(04:40):
these platforms are sponsored by online gambling websites and they
are pitching to kids, and kids are finding a way
to get get money somehow electronically turn it into cryptocurrency,
depositing the cryptocurrency and offshore gambling webs sites, and.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Essentially playing slot machines.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
My son had a friend lose forty dollars in front
of him in class a couple of weeks ago, and
another friend lost like had done really well, made a
bunch of money and lost.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
All of it.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
And I'm talking about a seven figure number now lost
all of it in online gambling that's being targeted to kids.
So I think that might be an interesting thing to
keep an eye out for.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
You want to add anything, Well, the all.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
Prelude to my courses. So my book that's coming out,
future Proof Kids.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
It gives the three lessons that I teach online virtually
over the summer, money Wise, AI Workshop and character Development
goal set of course I called goal Getter.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
So the first chapter of the book is my called appearance.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
If you're a parent of Alpha generation zero to fourteen
years old, today, we need to start a less tech
revolution and this is os controlling the narrative around tech
exposure to tech. This scenario could be very much controlled
if we just had parameters around tech, around social acception
and cultural acceptance, about how much tech is available to
(06:05):
our children, and create some values and ethics. This is
something that's completely absent in the development of AI right now,
is ethics and parameters.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
So as parents, it's our responsibility, I think, our duty.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
I also talk about somebody called the ten year test
in my book is basically, before you do anything with
your child, give it the ten year test. What could
possibly happen or quote unquote go wrong over the next
ten years if we implement this in our lifestyle.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
So it's a pause.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
It's time for us all as parents to take a
pause and to reflect and then take back control and
start to work together.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
I have a number of free workshops I'm putting on.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
The rest of this year in December and October and November,
even for grandparents to want to bridge these gaps, the
legacy conversations.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
They want to have money. It's my calling and.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
What I just think, what if over the next ten
years we work together as parents of Alpha generation and
create this categorical shift.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
It's totally possible.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
They do all over the world in different countries, and
we can see their model and then adopt and adapt.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Elena Chara.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Elena Sarnowski's website is Kidlaboratories dot com. She's the founder
of kid Laboratories, sometimes called America's STEM teacher. Elena, thanks
for the interesting conversation. I love the idea of a
less tech movement. I'll get back to that at some
point on the show. I think that's a great idea.
Thanks for your time. Thanks, bye bye.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
We'll take a quick break. We'll be right back on
Kawa
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