Ottawa Teens Are Learning Money Skills — From Students One Step Ahead of Them
Ottawa high school students are getting a financial education boost from an unlikely source: university students who were in their shoes not long ago.
A new peer-mentorship initiative connects University of Ottawa undergraduates with local high schoolers to tackle one of the most overlooked gaps in the school curriculum — personal finance. In an era where most purchases happen with a tap of a phone or card, many teens are entering adulthood without a firm grasp of budgeting, saving, or understanding where their money actually goes.
Why High Schoolers Are Falling Behind on Financial Know-How
The shift to digital and contactless payments has made spending feel almost abstract. There's no physical cash changing hands, no visual reminder of what's left in your wallet. For teens who've grown up in this environment, it can be genuinely hard to connect the act of tapping a card to real financial consequences.
Many students admit their schools simply don't cover money management in any meaningful way. Basic concepts like compound interest, credit scores, and the difference between needs and wants often go untaught — leaving young people to figure it out on their own, sometimes after already making costly mistakes.
U of O Steps In With Peer-to-Peer Learning
The University of Ottawa students behind the initiative recognized that financial literacy often lands better when it comes from someone close in age — not a parent or a teacher, but someone who recently navigated the same transition from high school to independence.
The program covers practical, real-world topics: how to set up a budget, the basics of a bank account versus a credit card, what to watch out for with student loans, and how small daily spending habits add up over time. The conversational, peer-led format makes the material more approachable and less intimidating than a traditional classroom setting.
A Skill Gap With Real Consequences
The stakes are real. Young Canadians are carrying more debt than previous generations, and financial stress is one of the leading causes of anxiety among post-secondary students. Building foundational money habits in high school — before the first credit card, before the first rent payment — can have a lasting impact on financial wellbeing.
Ottawa's initiative is part of a broader national conversation about whether schools are adequately preparing students for adult financial life. Several provinces have begun updating curriculum to include more personal finance content, but advocates say the changes aren't happening fast enough.
Giving Back While Building Skills
For the U of O students running the workshops, the program is about more than community service. Teaching financial concepts reinforces their own understanding and gives them hands-on experience in communication, leadership, and community engagement — skills that employers consistently rank among the most valuable.
It's a reminder that some of the most effective education doesn't come from textbooks. Sometimes it comes from someone who just figured it out and wants to share what they know.
Source: CBC Ottawa / Emma Weller, CBC News
