Bitcoin Making Its Way Into High School Finances

During the past few years, colleges and universities the world over have been creating courses revolving around cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. Now the subject is gradually infecting the halls of high school students who want to learn about these developing technologies. Because of the increased student interest, this week a Business and Personal Finance teacher from Union Catholic High School in Scotch Plains, New Jersey announced plans to add the topic of cryptocurrencies to his course next semester.

Students all over the world are fascinated in cryptocurrencies and the subject is being taught throughout many college campuses. On the other hand, the trend is beginning to find its way into high school classrooms as younger scholars are fascinated by this technology. Just recently news.Bitcoin.com reported on a high school in Brisbane Australia where students had such an interest in bitcoin that it provoked students to create a cryptocurrency information night. This week the students at Union Catholic High School in Scotch Plains, New Jersey are also curious about digital currencies and the school’s Business and Personal Finance class plans to add cryptocurrencies to the course next semester.

Mr. Tim Breza’s business course is an elective class that teaches subjects like personal finance techniques, entrepreneurship, investments, and more. Mr. Breza’s course designed for juniors and seniors at Union Catholic will soon discuss blockchain technology, cryptocurrency, and the history of cryptographic innovation. According to Mr. Breza, a few students began talking about bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. They asked the teacher his thoughts on the subject and asked if he knew about bitcoin.

“If one student’s talking about it, many of them are talking about it,” Breza said. “So I figured we needed to include it,” explains Mr. Breza.

I am very enthusiastic that the students and Union Catholic are being exposed to this… and that the UC administration supported teaching this to our students — Not too many schools are even thinking about teaching about cryptocurrency. We’re not teaching it in the sense that you have to invest in it, we are just giving the facts of it. Blockchain is the key to all of this. That’s the revolutionary piece to it.

“Who was the creator of Bitcoin?” was the extra credit question for one of Mr. Breza’s business class pop quizzes.

Scholars at Union Catholic (UC) are taking a liking to the new course idea, and some of them have previously invested in cryptocurrency. Max Berg, a junior from UC purchased BTC last year and cashed out just before it hit $20K.

“UC is always on the edge of new technology with our laptops and other things, so this is just that next step of teaching what the future of investments are going to be,’’ said Berg.

It’s been a hobby of mine for years now, and it’s cool to see how big it has gotten, and that the school is open to teaching about it is great.

Many other students at UC are excited about the cryptocurrency course and believe the school and the 28-year old business teacher are looking toward the future. UC senior Thomas Monahan says, “The teachers and administrators at Union Catholic always find ways to give us an edge and help us learn and make us better than other high schools.’’

“They teach us valuable things about life, things that will help us in the future,” Monahan adds.