Presented by Jay Matthews, Community Impact Specialist, EVERFI; Paris Woods, Ed.M., Education Leader, Author, and Chief of Programs, YouthForce NOLA; Teresa Billingsley, Business Education Teacher, Colbert Heights High School (AL); Kayla Boyer, Product Marketing Specialist, EVERFI; and Jessie Fox, M.Ed., Director of K12 Community Engagement, EVERFI

Sponsored by EVERFI

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View our conversation with Paris Woods, Ed.M., education leader, non-profit founder, and author of The Black Girl’s Guide to Financial Freedom. Paris spent years working in education and wanted to find a way to build wealth without changing careers or taking the traditional real estate or business routes. This book and corresponding conversation are the result of years of research and practice that helped her find a simpler path. Through real-life stories coupled with clear and actionable advice, you’ll walk away with ideas regarding:

• Building generational wealth
• Avoiding common financial traps
• Achieving financial independence
• Incorporating best practices into your classroom

This recorded edWebinar is of interest to K-12 teachers, librarians, and school and district leaders.

About the Presenters

Jay Matthews has worked in education for over 10 years as a PreK lead teacher, scholarship advisor/financial aid officer, undergraduate instructor and 4H cooperative extension agent. She’s a three-time Auburn University graduate (bachelor’s in mass communication ‘09, M.Ed. in instructional technology ‘13, and Ed.S. in adult education ‘15). Fun fact: she happens to be the ultimate crafter/DIY’er. As EVERFI’s Community Impact Specialist, Jay supports educator groups with free resources, easy-to-implement classroom ideas, and lifelong connections.

Paris Woods is a first-generation college graduate of Harvard University who spent the early part of her career helping students from disadvantaged backgrounds gain access to highly selective educational opportunities through her work at New Hampshire boarding school Phillips Exeter Academy, Harvard University, and the QuestBridge Scholars Program. In 2015, Paris co-founded College Beyond, a nonprofit whose mission is to empower students to take agency over their lives by mastering the routines, habits, skills, and mindsets to be successful in college and in life. During her tenure as Executive Director, Paris led with a clear-eyed focus on improving outcomes for the most vulnerable students, secured over $1 million in funding, launched a landmark partnership with the University of New Orleans, and raised retention rates by double digits, more than any other open-access intervention in the region.

Paris has led trainings for NewSchools Venture Fund, the I Have a Dream Foundation, and 4.0 Schools, and has been a featured speaker and panelist at national and regional conferences including for The College Board, NCAN, and SACAC. She is a 2018 Pahara NextGen Leadership Fellow, 2016 Gambit’s 40 Under 40 honoree, and has received numerous awards and media recognition for her work. Her book, The Black Girl’s Guide to Financial Freedom, is a financial memoir and action plan forged in her experiences learning the ins and outs of personal finance. As a Black woman who grew up in poverty and took the long route to financial security, this is the book Paris wishes she had as a youth and young professional. With the heart of an educator, Paris breaks down complex financial topics and illuminates a path to financial freedom that anyone can follow.

Teresa Billingsley has been teaching business education for over 20 years. She is very proud to be teaching at Colbert Heights High School, which is located in the historic town of Tuscumbia, Alabama, the birthplace of Helen Keller and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. As a teacher, she feels that it is her responsibility to help inspire, lead, and motivate students in a positive mindset. It gives her great pleasure when students realize the importance of setting well-defined SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound) goals for themselves. Setting goals will help assure them career success. It is truly Teresa’s desire to impact positive ramifications upon her students’ future because they are the future of tomorrow. She holds various leadership roles which include CHHS Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) organization sponsor, Future Teachers of America (FTA), and Alabama Career Technical Education (ALACTE) marketing president. Teresa holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Athens State University and a Master of Science and Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in business education from Alabama A&M University. Most recently, Teresa was selected to be a part of EVERFI’s Teacher Ambassador community.

Kayla Boyer is an avid hiker in the White Mountains of New Hampshire where she resides with her partner, nine-year-old daughter and their two lab-mix dogs. She has worked for EVERFI for four years and is extremely passionate about spreading EVERFI’s mission to address critical skill gaps in K-12 schools.

Jessie Fox, M.Ed. has been in education for the past 13 years as both a teacher and a coach. She now works as EVERFI’s Director of K12 Community Engagement from her home base in Portland, Oregon, where she connects educator communities with relevant, no-cost resources for their classrooms. Jessie is thrilled to bring educators together around a common goal of gifting students with real-world skills, and provides free access to engaging content around diversity, equity and inclusion, digital wellness, STEM, health and wellness, social-emotional learning, and financial literacy. Jessie also hosts free bi-weekly webinars, along with EVERFI’s free flagship summer educator conference, LearnOn.

Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.

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From grade school through retirement, EVERFI’s free digital education curriculums empower learners of all ages to make safe, smart, and informed decisions. We bring together the public and private sectors so K-12 teachers can equip today’s learners with the skills they need to become tomorrow’s leaders.