It’s the middle of September and school has been in full swing for many people. Whether you’re a student yourself, have a child that is a student, or know someone else going to school, there is ‘back to school’ energy all around us. In New York City, the largest school district in the country, last week was marked by nervous parents and a surge in remote learning, as reported by NPR. The next generation of scholars inspires me to work as hard so that these scholars can have all the opportunity they deserve. 

Education is an intangible asset that allows us to learn and grow, expand our way of thinking, and hopefully, have the freedom to optimize your current situation and choose your future path. Education is a key ingredient for creating a wealthy life, regardless of age. 

These are tough questions to grapple with, and answer. 

Child or no child, I think that we should all care about these questions as a collective global society because education brings economic and social societal benefit, especially in a post-COVID world. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has championed nine ideas for public action, including a commitment “to strengthen education as a common good. Education is a bulwark against inequalities. In education as in health, we are safe when everybody is safe; we flourish.” 

So, I want you to check-in on your friends, family members, and colleagues and ask them what you can do to help improve the educational environment in your community. Remember, wealth is a collective endeavor and ‘back to school’ reminds us that we all have a role to play. If you need some inspiration, check out this picture of Anaya, the daughter of Charisse Says member Jeanette B., who is posing confidently for her first day of school! 

Education in Entrepreneurship

Education doesn’t stop with formalized instruction at a school, college, or university. If you know an entrepreneur, Verizon just launched a FREE online curriculum designed to give small businesses like yours(or your friend’s) the personalized tools to succeed in today's digital world. The Verizon Small Business Digital Ready platform includes learning modules, expert coaching, peer networking and more—it's part of its goal to provide resources to help one million small businesses thrive in the digital economy. My colleagues at Next Street worked with Verizon on the platform, so I can personally attest that it’s a strong platform. Please share with friends and family who could use the resource. You can try it out for here. I've signed up for Charisse Says and I love it thus far. 

A Wealthy Girl Corner 

Remember that the ‘back to school’ season can be a frenzy in the stock market too. Take advantage of the opportunities that are right for you, and avoid those which aren’t. In this recent Bloomberg article, ‘Back-to-School Season Has Stock Sellers Tapping Market in Droves,’ “there’s a lot of liquidity in the market and therefore people are being opportunistic, especially given strong appetite from investors,”

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to join Lawrence E. Adjah during his Watch God Work show talked about building true wealth, exercising your faith muscles, finance, infertility, intergenerational impact and much more. If you’ve never listened to Lawrence, you’re in for a real treat because Lawrence builds communities and hosts conversations that unite, heal and transform lives.