State Treasurer Curtis Loftis Recognizes Zachary Arms of Liberty High School as Educator of the Month
May 21, 2021
South Carolina Treasurer Curtis Loftis has recognized Liberty High School’s Zachary Arms as the South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program’s Educator of the Month for May.
“Without personal finance education, our students will be unprepared to face the economic demands of the modern world,” said Treasurer Loftis. “Our Financial Literacy Master Teachers are working to empower our youth by giving them the tools they need to become financially literate adults. We are grateful to Mr. Arms and all of our Financial Literacy Master Teachers who are helping to provide the solution to this statewide and national problem.”
In addition to serving as assistant band director and faculty advisor of the school’s Interact Club, Arms currently teaches government, economics and psychology at Pickens County’s Liberty High School. Prior to Liberty High School, Arms taught at Midland Valley High School in Aiken County. He is a 2017 graduate of Clemson University, where he completed a double major to earn his Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education and History.
“Personal finance is a crucial topic to understand, especially in this age of digital information. Without proper knowledge and guidance, individuals can be led astray into poor financial decisions that can negatively impact their lives,” said Arms. “I truly believe that there’s a strong correlation between the large amounts of consumer debt our citizens are accruing and the rate of depression in our nation. Knowledge of personal finance can save a person's life.”
The South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program provides incentives to K-12 teachers who are experts in the area of financial literacy and have a desire to teach professional development workshops to other educators in their schools and districts. Through the program, participating teachers have access to specialized training and financial literacy curriculum resources that better enable them to promote financial literacy education in K-12 schools.
Sponsored by Future Scholar, South Carolina’s 529 College Savings Plan, and in partnership with SC Economics, this statewide financial literacy initiative aims to increase teacher support and involvement in incorporating personal finance education into the curriculum.
About Future Scholar
Future Scholar, South Carolina’s 529 College Savings Plan, is administered through the State Treasurer’s Office. For more information, visit FutureScholar.com or follow @SCStateTreasurer on Facebook. No state funds are used to market Future Scholar or the SC Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program.