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Financial Literacy

Loomis Chaffee’s Financial Literacy program equips students with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to make smart choices with their money — today, tomorrow, and for years to come.

The program’s goals include teaching students …

  1. how their choices impact their earnings,
  2. how to grow the money they earn,
  3. how to use their money to make themselves happy and make good choices, and
  4. how to use their money to make the world a better place.

“Understanding money is a life skill that opens doors.”

Linda Fisher Director of Financial Literacy

Linda Fisher, director of the Financial Literacy program, talks about the goals of the program.

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From budgeting and investing to understanding credit, risk, and the economy, Financial Literacy provides practical skills students can use immediately — whether it’s managing their pelicoin, planning for college, or thinking about their first paycheck. 

90%

Nearly 90 percent of all Loomis Chaffee students participate in at least one Financial Literacy event each year, with more than 200 enrolled in the immersive pelicoin program. 

“The primary reason I go to these sessions is the opportunity to learn practical skills that I know I’ll use throughout my life. Before attending, I had a very surface-level understanding of personal finance — basic concepts like saving money or budgeting were familiar to me, but I didn’t really know how to implement them effectively. These sessions have helped deepen my understanding of topics such as investment strategies, managing credit, and planning for retirement.” 

ShaneJunior

Student looking at their pelicoin dashboard on their computer

What is pelicoin?

Students learn to manage their money by earning pelicoin, a virtual currency system used as a tool to teach personal finance. They earn pelicoin by attending Financial Literacy seminars and receive monthly statements. Their pelicoin accounts are “taxed” and have associated bank “fees” for insufficient funds, for example, to prevent negative balances in their accounts. They can use pelicoin to purchase gift cards, buy gifts, donate to various causes, and participate in the annual Stock Market Game on campus. 

Watch: What is pelicoin?

The Financial Literacy program is funded by the generous support of John D. Pearse ’58 and Sally Crowther Pearse ’58.