When Joyce Bartels-Daal, managing director of Aruba Learning, was asked by a school system in Aruba to create a life skills class, she proposed one that would help teens develop a better understanding of themselves around the very important issue of money and finances. The concept was a good fit for the self-improvement program; although parents, teachers and administrators saw the value, the students themselves put money at the top of their list in a questionnaire soliciting their desired seminars. The resultant class revolves around Money Habitudes cards.

Helping Teens Understand Themselves
Bartels-Daal and her colleagues have taught the money class to hundreds of students, ages 13-20. It complements the school's other classes for teenagers and young adults that cover topics like time management and communications skills. The pitch she made to administrators is the same message she gives students at the beginning of the class: "We're not going to teach you how to make a budget. We're going to help you understand yourself better and, by understanding yourself better, you'll be able to acquire or create those habits you need for success." She sums up the value proposition as: "Know yourself so you can manage your money better."

As an experienced trainer who has worked with corporate clients in Aruba and internationally for over 25 years, Bartels-Daal brought her experience to bear in designing the class. When running workshops, she strives for experiences that are interactive and are "more of a discussion" than someone simply lecturing an audience. As a result, Money Habitudes fits well with her training philosophy. In fact, Bartels-Daal says the cards worked so well that the classes seemed to run themselves.

And, as a testament to how engaging the sessions are, it isn't only students who are drawn in, says Bartels-Daal.

"We've even had a lot of the teachers ask if they can sit in and participate!"

Letting Teens Take the Reins
The Money Habitudes sessions that Aruba Learning runs for adults may run 2-3 hours, but with her school groups, she only has an hour. The limited time, the short attention span of many teens – and the necessity to show that they're adding value when using class time – means that Bartels-Daal and her colleagues need to hit the ground running.

"We have to make sure we grab their attention and that our message is short and sweet," she says.

Therefore, she does a very minimal introduction to the cards, mainly talking about how and why they were created. And then, with little fanfare, she turns the decks of Money Habitudes for Teens over to the students and lets them start playing with them.

"I've noticed that, especially with the teens, the more you let them do their own thing, it works better. They're not into lectures; they want to figure it out for themselves," she says, noting that the students have not had any issues understanding the English cards, even though it's their second language. She's used the cards with groups as large as 100 but feels that 50 is a more effective size.

Thus, the class starts to explore and discover the cards together in a natural, organic way. As they open the decks and start sorting the cards, they start talking, forming small groups on their own to extract meaning from individual cards and the larger patterns that emerge. Finally, they use the included interpretation cards to better understand their own habits and attitudes related to money.

People who work with teens know they like to talk and interact, not sit at attention and listen patiently to a long lecture. Therefore, giving them the freedom to make conversation a healthy part of learning and self-development plays to their natural tendencies. That interaction gets them more involved and makes the session easier and more enjoyable for the instructor as well. By stepping back, Bartels-Daal lets the kids discover the material for themselves and learn from each other. It also helps establish a precedent that talking about money can be done in a fun, constructive way rather than remaining a taboo topic that is never discussed.

"The best part is they just like to play with the cards. They look at them, turn them around, talk about them and then relate it to themselves. For that, they don't need you that much," she says. "It's sort of like a group coaching itself."

Teen Outcomes
Just as Bartels-Daal notes that the teens enjoyed being able to sort the cards without help, she says they could also take meaning from the entertaining activity without much in the way of guidance.

"They were very quick in getting to the results and also quick to say, 'This and this and this applies to me and I need to make this change and this change,'" she says.

Bartels-Daal sees that the students immediately make the connection that they need to save more, spend smarter or set up or use a savings account – and then will take steps to actually do it.

"We hope that they say, 'It is ok to talk about money to start with' and, second, 'By feeling ok, we're able to discuss it and make small changes that will help us.' The students were very practical. When we asked for feedback, I had one of them say, 'I understand that if, every day during break time, I buy all my friends these snacks and stuff, I'm not going to be able to save money at the end of the month, so I know what I need to do,'" she says.

Of course, the personal discoveries that teens make about themselves vary. However, the students did have some commonalities when it came to spending, saving and prioritizing.

"They mostly realize pretty quick for themselves that they're very spontaneous and their saving habits are not there. That was something that I found in the majority," says Bartels-Daal who suspects that this is linked to a generational trait in today's teens coupled with a national culture that doesn't value thrift.

Yet, despite Bartels-Daal's enthusiasm for Money Habitudes, she hasn't won over everyone. Although she has used the cards hundreds of times, she recalls a single student who refused to participate in the self-development class at all.

"That was the one person! But everyone else who has used the cards had a revelation, had something come to them. I think the cards are wonderful. I wouldn't change them for anything."