TORONTO, Dec. 16, 2014 /CNW/ - Today Ophea and TD Bank Group, along with The Honourable Liz Sandals, Minister of Education, announced the launch of Wallet Wellness — Financial Literacy for Healthy Living. Ophea's new bilingualWallet Wellness resource supports Ontario's teachers in instructing elementary students with opportunities to apply the skills they are learning for healthy living — like critical thinking, communication, decision-making and problem-solving skills — to situations involving financial decisions. This new resource will help students develop financial literacy skills and contribute to their overall well-being.

"Preparing students to be financially literate is essential to student success and a stronger economy.  More than ever, strong financial literacy skills are critical to help our children thrive as financially responsible and engaged citizens," says Liz Sandals, Minister of Education. "That's why I'm so impressed with the leadership and initiative shown by Ophea and their partnership with TD Bank in the development of these new resources announced today."

"Financial literacy is crucial and sets the stage for Canada to effectively compete in the global economy," says Linda MacKay, Senior Vice President, Retail Savings and Investing, TD Bank Group.  "But we know that almost 50 per cent of Canadians struggle with financial tasks — an alarming statistic. We are pleased to work with Ophea to bring Wallet Wellness to Ontario's elementary students, giving them the knowledge they need to achieve financial independence and to be comfortable with financial literacy throughout their lives."

When it comes to managing money, making sound and thoughtful decisions doesn't always come naturally — especially in a society that promotes instant rewards. Teaching financial literacy in Ontario schools will help equip students to be better prepared to make the right choices in the future.

"We believe that this resource is a significant step forward in providing students with a strong understanding of financial basics and how to apply these skills to real life situations," says Chris Markham, Executive Director and CEO, Ophea. "The resource also addresses overall expectations from the Health & Physical Education Curriculum that include students learning how their choices and behaviours affect their own and others' health and well-being."

Wallet Wellness gives educators ready-to-go activity cards that integrate financial literacy into the Grade 4-8 Health and Physical Education (H&PE) curriculum. Lessons link to concepts like setting personal goals for saving and budgeting, as well as to other concepts within the Healthy Living part of the curriculum. Students are encouraged to consider costs and different circumstances when making healthy eating choices. They also learn to make connections and think about the financial implications of substance use, abuse and related behaviours. The resource builds upon the research presented in the Ontario Working Group on Financial Literacy's document A Sound Investment: Financial Literacy Education in Ontario Schools, 2010.

Ophea and TD are proud to partner on the resource, with TD as the exclusive corporate sponsor of Wallet Wellness. The resource is available through Ophea's new Teaching Tools website which lets users quickly and easily access lesson plans, activities and supplements. The next phase of Wallet Wellness, to be launched April 2015, will include interactive professional learning workshops for educators. Bilingual videos to further enhance learning will be added in September 2015.

About Ophea
Ophea is a not-for-profit organization that champions healthy, active living in schools and communities through quality programs and services, partnerships and advocacy. Ophea's vision is that all children and youth will value and enjoy the lifelong benefits of healthy, active living. To learn more about Ophea visit www.ophea.net. To accessWallet Wellness visit http://teachingtools.ophea.net/activities/wallet-wellness.

About TD Community Giving
TD Bank Group invests in communities in order to effect positive change in the places where it operates and where its customers and employees live and work. In 2014, TD donated more than $82 million to community organizations in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. In Canada, TD focuses on education and financial literacy, creating opportunities for young people and the environment. For further information, please visit www.td.com/corporate-responsibility.

Article courtesy of www.NorthumberlandView.ca