Mepham nationally ranked for finance education

Mepham High School has been recognized as one of the top 100 high schools in the nation for personal finance education by the Working in Support of Education (W!SE) Financial Literacy Certification Program, Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District officials said.

This is the second straight year that Mepham has been ranked in the top 100 schools.

In its 11th year, the W!SE program offers a set of requirements and a standardized certification test for students. Since its inception, officials said, the program has grown nationwide, with more than 500 high schools in 34 states now participating in the W!SE examination.

Economics teacher Gregg Zogby, who was later joined by teacher Nicole Tschan, started the program at Mepham in 2006. Zogby and Tschan, who created their own lesson plans, helped students gain the skills needed to succeed in a 21st-century environment.

“Life skills and personal finance have become an integral part of the economics course,” Zogby said. “It’s something that, as a department, we truly believe in and something we will continue to promote as long as we can.”

Concepts of personal finance are incorporated into the half-year required economics class for Mepham seniors. Students are exposed to a variety of personal finance topics, including checking, banking, mortgages and credit cards.