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Rick Andruchuk of James Fowler High School honoured by banking association
Rick Andruchuk of James Fowler High School in Calgary was one of five Canadian teachers to earn a national award recently for contributing to students’ financial literacy.
The Canadian Bankers Association (CBA) honoured Andruchuk and four others at a ceremony in Ottawa on May 11. For the past six years, Andruchuk has hosted the association’s Your Money Students program, a free in-class seminar that introduces financial concepts such budgeting, saving and credit.
Andruchuk said he was honoured to receive his Glass Apple Award along with a whirlwind Ottawa visit that included being wined and dined and mingling with 150 senior bankers from all the major banks.
“The whole experience was totally unexpected since I feel as a teacher I was just doing my job,” he said in an email interview.
Delivered by bankers who volunteer their time, the Your Money Students program was developed by the CBA in partnership with the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada and, to date, has been presented to more than 225,000 students across Canada.
“Our Your Money Students seminar program has been successful for two main reasons: because of our bankers, who volunteer their time to take the basics of financial literacy to local high schools, and because of the teachers, who realize the importance of financial literacy and invite us into their classrooms,” said Terry Campbell, president of the CBA.
Andruchuk said the program fits in nicely with the curriculum for career and life management (CALM).
“I always recommend the CBA to other CALM teachers in our school since the process provides an opportunity to bring experts (which we are not) into the classroom,” he said.
He likes the fact that students receive first-hand information that is curriculum based and get the opportunity to ask career questions about banking.
“In general, most people know very little about banking, and yet it is so vitally important,” he said. ❚
