About Us

The Idea

It started with a 10-year-old . . .

Vanguard, a leading investment management company, is committed to financial literacy for all ages. We started the classroom economy project after an employee's 10-year-old son, a fourth-grader, asked a seemingly simple question during dinner: "I wonder when I'll be able to pay off my mortgage?"

Intrigued by the discovery that her son had a classroom mortgage and was earning a paycheck for his classroom job, the employee contacted her son's teacher.

The classroom economy idea offered a way to teach young people not only the concept of financial discipline but also—very importantly—the rewards that go with it.

Vanguard set out to build on those ideas and to make them available, free of charge, to teachers everywhere, knowing that the more help we can provide to educators, the more they can do to teach children financial skills that can last a lifetime.

Vanguard employees were invited to donate their time and expertise to the project and have done so enthusiastically. As a result, we are able to offer program guides and supporting materials to any U.S. teacher who wants to try this method of classroom management, and to help his or her students learn the benefits of financial responsibility by experiencing it.

If you have questions or would like to give us feedback about the My Classroom Economy program or this website please contact us.