Author Will Halverson, Colorado Office of the Attorney General

“Save early, save often, and save as much as you can” is the advice given to high school students by Hilary Wimmer, Colorado’s 2020 Teacher of the Year and the 2019 MoneyWi$er Financial Innovation Awards Educator Honoree, who remembers that, her senior year of high school, “I was so worried about money and paying for college that I gave myself stomach ulcers.” “A quick lesson in personal finance,” she recalls, “would have improved my health and helped me tremendously.” In 2020, Wimmer received a $3,500 award from MoneyWi$er for her advocacy of personal finance education for high school students at Mountain Range High School in Westminster.

The MoneyWi$er awards, presented by the Office of the Colorado Attorney General in partnership with the Colorado Department of Education, offer substantial grants of money every year to students, educators, schools, and school districts passionate about personal finance education. 2019 Student scholarship honoree, Brigid McNamara of George Washing High School in Denver said “my background in personal finance has also been beneficial when it came to my education, by inspiring me to attend the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado, Boulder.”

Anyone who is passionate about personal finance education is eligible to apply for the Awards.

$1,500 scholarship awarded to four student honorees who have a passion for sharing personal finance education with others.
$3,500 awarded to four educators who prioritize personal finance education and demonstrate an exceptional impact on their community and school by teaching personal finance.
$10,000 awarded to a school which has elevated personal finance education and provides an innovative proposal for personal finance education for all students

· $15,000 awarded to a school district which has elevated personal finance education and provides an innovative proposal for personal finance education for all students

To apply, head to the MoneyWi$er webpage. Applications are open until March 15, 2021.