{"id":131025,"date":"2026-03-22T00:39:22","date_gmt":"2026-03-22T03:39:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tech.einnews.com\/article\/901011922"},"modified":"2026-03-22T00:39:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T03:39:22","slug":"third-investacon-blends-financial-literacy-and-technology-to-prepare-the-next-generation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/03\/22\/third-investacon-blends-financial-literacy-and-technology-to-prepare-the-next-generation\/","title":{"rendered":"Third InvestaCon blends financial literacy and technology to prepare the next generation"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A local event helped families and students learn about money, careers, and technology in a fun, hands-on way.<\/p>\n

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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. \u2014 A local event in Virginia Beach is helping young people get a head start on something many adults say they wish they had learned earlier: money management.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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At Virginia Wesleyan University, students aren\u2019t just sitting in a classroom; they\u2019re learning by doing.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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The 3rd InvestaCon<\/a>, hosted by the Young Investors Group, turns financial lessons into interactive, real-world experiences designed to prepare youth and families for long-term success.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s really about them going out into the community and teaching other kids about finances and technology and what you need to be successful as an adult,\u201d said Katherine Currin, a member of the organization\u2019s advisory board.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Currin says the definition of financial literacy has evolved and now goes far beyond balancing a checkbook. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cIn this day and age, you can\u2019t just know how to balance a checkbook or write a check. That\u2019s not enough anymore. You have to know how to go online,\u201d she said. \u201cAt the pace that businesses are running these days\u2026 you have to understand technology.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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That includes everything from navigating digital banking to understanding artificial intelligence \u2014 tools that are becoming essential in everyday financial decisions.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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For students like Jasmaine Watson, a computer science and cybersecurity major at Norfolk State University, that connection between money and technology is critical.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cA.I. is growing, and computer science is growing,\u201d Watson said. \u201cSo, more people are trying to hack you or get your money\u2026 so we need to protect our money.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Watson says that\u2019s why activities like scam-detection workshops and cybersecurity exercises are key parts of the event, helping participants recognize threats in an increasingly digital world.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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High school intern Jordan Taylor says that kind of real-world knowledge is something many students aren\u2019t getting in traditional classrooms.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cFinancial literacy isn\u2019t a requirement in a lot of cities,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cYou\u2019re sending these kids out after they graduate, and they\u2019re like, \u2018OK \u2026 what do I do now?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Taylor added that events like InvestaCon help bridge that gap by giving students exposure to topics like budgeting, taxes, and even emerging areas like cryptocurrency.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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For Ashton Lard, another cybersecurity student at Norfolk State University who helped with the event, even small lessons can have a big impact.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cJust be open to learning new things,\u201d Lard said. \u201cEven though it\u2019s not a lot of information, just a little bit of information can go a long way.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Organizers say that\u2019s exactly the goal, making financial education approachable, engaging, and relevant to today\u2019s digital landscape.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Through activities like business pitch challenges, FinTech competitions, and interactive workshops, InvestaCon aims to equip young people not just with knowledge, but with confidence.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Currin says giving students hands-on exposure early makes a lasting difference.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cWhen you\u2019ve played a game with an application or worked through a financial scenario, it makes it much less intimidating,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019re learning while they\u2019re having fun.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Organizers hope that the foundation will translate into smarter financial decisions, stronger career paths, and long-term community impact across Hampton Roads.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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InvestaCon is a free, biennial event open to students and families. To learn more about future events or get involved, visit Young Investors Group online<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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… about money, careers, and technology<\/span> in a fun, hands-on … kids about finances and technology<\/span> and what you need … days\u00e2\u0080\u00a6 you have to understand technology<\/span>.\u00e2\u0080\u009d That includes everything from … that connection between money and technology<\/span> is critical. \u00e2\u0080\u009cA.I. is …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-131025","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131025","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=131025"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131025\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=131025"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=131025"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=131025"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}