Plowshares Preschool · June 5, 2026
The same ideas, sized for preschoolers.
Needs and wants, saving goals, and telling coins and bills apart. Each student drew something they want to save up for, then shared it with the group.
Photos from the visitFree financial literacy lessons for middle schools
Teaching students to find their way with money.
Newton North High School students teach hands-on money lessons in middle school classrooms. Free for schools, and built by people who remember being thirteen.
Free
for every school we visit
6 topics
from saving to compound interest
45 minutes
one visit, taught in your classroom
65% to 98%
Bigelow Middle School, before and after
Why it matters
Money is the one subject every student will use.
Students learn the quadratic formula and the three branches of government. Most never learn what a credit score is, how interest compounds, or why a paycheck is smaller than a salary. We think that should start in middle school, so that’s where we teach it.
1 in 3
adults worldwide can pass a basic test of interest, compounding, inflation, and risk.
Source: S&P Global FinLit Survey (opens in a new tab)28%
of Massachusetts adults correctly estimated how long a loan at 20% interest takes to double.
Source: FINRA Foundation NFCS, 2024 (opens in a new tab)
The topics
Six topics, one 45-minute visit.
One visit covers all six, with a short, visual presentation, games, real-world scenarios, and group discussion. It’s built for grades 6 to 8.
Spending and saving
Wants versus needs, and how small daily choices add up over a year.
Students leave able to tell a want from a need, and start a saving habit.
Banking
How checking and savings accounts work, and what it means to keep money in a bank.
Students leave able to use a first bank account with confidence.
Budgeting
A simple plan for money coming in and money going out.
Students leave able to build a first budget they can actually keep.
Taxes
Where taxes come from, what they pay for, and why a paycheck is smaller than a salary.
Students leave able to read a pay stub and see where the taxes went.
How the economy works
Supply, demand, and the everyday forces that shape prices and jobs.
Students leave able to spot supply and demand in prices they see every day.
Compound interest
How money grows on its own over time, and why the first years of saving matter most.
Students leave able to explain how starting early multiplies what they save.
Need a topic that isn’t listed? Tell us in your request
How a visit works
Requesting a visit takes two minutes.
Any teacher or administrator can ask, and there’s no cost to the school.
Request a visit- 1
Send a request
The form takes about two minutes. Tell us your school, the grade level, and a few dates that could work.
- 2
We plan it with you
Someone from our team emails you within a few days to pick a date and plan the visit.
- 3
We teach, then measure
We teach all six topics in one 45-minute visit to your classroom. Middle school students take a short quiz before and after, so you can see what stuck.
Results
A 33-point jump at Bigelow Middle School.
On May 26, 2026, we taught Bigelow Middle School’s eighth graders spending and saving, banking, and how money works day to day, then closed with a team Jeopardy round. Students took the same assessment before and after.
Students answering the core questions correctly
Saving, budgeting, and interest. Same quiz, before and after.
Before Compass65%
After Compass98%
+33percentage points
Team
Taught by students, mentored by a teacher.
Three Newton North students run Compass. Rob Kane, who has taught business at Newton North since 2002, mentors the program.
Rob Kane
Business Teacher & Mentor
20+ years teaching at Newton North
A Newton North business teacher since 2002, with a master’s in education from Kent State University and a degree in business administration from the University of Scranton. He mentors students pursuing business and entrepreneurship.
Barbara Liao
Co-Founder
UChicago 2031
A student-athlete and competitive swimmer at Newton North, committed to swim at the University of Chicago. She founded Compass after seeing how a lack of early financial education holds people back, convinced that literacy should never be a barrier to success.
Marlowe Canelli
Co-Founder
Financial Manager, Bonnet Shores Fire District Camp
A Newton North sophomore who manages the finances for a summer camp serving 80+ campers. He is a year ahead in math and swims nationally for Shawmut Aquatic Club. He co-founded Compass to bring financial literacy into middle school classrooms.
Luca Rai
Co-Founder
A Newton North sophomore who founded multiple e-commerce businesses and has invested his own money for over a year, averaging a 34% return. He plays varsity soccer for the school and MLS NEXT Academy soccer for New England Surf. He co-founded Compass because he thinks schools should teach kids skills they will use as adults, like how to manage, invest, and grow their money.
FAQ
Questions schools ask.
- What does a visit cost?
- Nothing. Visits are free for schools.
- Which grades do you teach?
- The lesson is built for grades 6 to 8. We have also adapted it for younger students, including a preschool class at Plowshares in Newton.
- How long is a visit?
- 45 minutes. One visit covers all six topics.
- Who teaches?
- Compass’s student team from Newton North High School. Rob Kane, a Newton North business teacher since 2002, mentors the program.
- How do you know students learned anything?
- Middle school students take the same short quiz before and after the lesson. At Bigelow Middle School, the share answering the core questions correctly went from 65% to 98%.
- Where do you teach?
- We’re based at Newton North High School in Newton, Massachusetts, and teach in local classrooms.
- How soon will we hear back?
- Within a few days of your request. The request form takes about two minutes.
Request a visit
Bring Compass to your classroom.
Tell us about your students and we’ll reply within a few days to set a date. Visits are free.
Request a visitPrefer email?
- Barbara Liaobarbaraliao123@gmail.com
- Marlowe Canellimarlowecanelli1@gmail.com
- Luca Railucarai247@gmail.com
- Rob Kane, faculty mentorkaner@newton.k12.ma.us