WEST COLUMBIA, SC -- Airport High School teacher Tammi Campbell has been recognized as the South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program’s Educator of the Month by State Treasurer Curtis Loftis.
Campbell, an educator at Airport High for six years, chairs the school’s Career and Technology Education (CATE) Department and teaches a number of business and finance classes. A graduate of Columbia College with bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Campbell has participated on several state standard revision committees and served as an executive board member for the South Carolina Business Education Association.
“Many of our students enter college with no financial literacy basics and graduate with huge amounts of debt, creating undue pressure on these young people as they enter adulthood,” said Campbell, who was recognized for the month of January. “Giving high school students access to financial literacy education provides them with an understanding of the importance of saving for the future, planning for retirement and spending their money wisely. By increasing their awareness that money matters encompass almost every aspect of a person’s life, we give individuals the knowledge they need to maximize the income they earn.”
The South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program provides incentives to K-12 teachers who are experts in the area of financial literacy and have a desire to teach professional development workshops to other educators in their schools and districts. Through the program, participating teachers have access to specialized training and financial literacy curriculum resources that better enable them to promote financial literacy education in K-12 schools.
In addition to passing the W!SE Personal Finance for Educators national certification exam and exceeding the requirements of the South Carolina program, Campbell was recently recognized by Next Gen Personal Finance as one of its 2020 Extra Mile Award recipients for completing eight certifications, which equates to more than 80 hours of time dedicated to personal finance education.
“Thanks to her efforts, Ms. Campbell’s students have gained an important knowledge of personal finance that will serve as a foundation for building more complex money management skills,” Treasurer Loftis said. “We are grateful that the passion and dedication she brings to the Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program will continue to benefit these students for years to come.”