Course Title: Practical Business, Economics and Finance for Young People

Course Description: This interactive course introduces students to the basic concepts of economics, helping them understand the principles of money, markets, and decision- making in a simple and relatable manner. Students will learn about the principles of business, economics and finance through interactive activities including:

– Creating and balancing their own (pretend) bank accounts

– Trading stocks on a real stock exchange simulator and competing for the most profitable investment portfolio

– Analyzing real case studies of economic events and leaders in the field like Warren Buffet and Elon Musk

– Learning how to read and understand real corporate balance sheets and books

– Reading, tracking and analyzing current economic events in the Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The Financial Times and other global finance publications

– Learning how to monitor and interpret key economic indicators like GDP, Inflation, Interest Rates, etc.

Week 1-2: Introduction to Economics

• What is economics?

• The role of money in our lives

• Needs vs. wants

Week 3-4: Goods and Services

• Understanding goods and services

• Identifying examples of goods and services in everyday life

• How goods and services meet our needs and wants

Week 5-6: Money and Currency

• The history of money

• Types of currency

• How money works: earning, spending, saving

Week 7-8: Supply and Demand

• Introduction to supply and demand

• How prices are determined

• Supply and demand in action: examples from the real world

Week 9-10: Entrepreneurship and Business

• What is an entrepreneur?

• Types of Corporations

• Starting a small business (a lemonade stand project)

• The role of businesses in the economy

• Reading a Balance Sheet and Corporate Books

Week 11-13: The Banking System: Savings, Borrowing and Budgeting

• Introduction to savings

• Creating a simple budget

• The importance of saving money

• How Banks Create Money

•  Reading Bank Balance Sheets- Assets and Liabilities

• The International Banking System and Systemic Risk

Week 14: Making Choices

• Opportunity cost and decision-making

• Trade-offs and how to make informed choices

• Economic decision-making in daily life

• Black swans in economic decision-making

Week 15-18: Investing for Absolute Beginners

• History of Investing and Dutch East India Company

• Carnegie and Investing in the 1900s

• Public Companies and IPOs

• New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ

• Indexes – S&P500 and Dow

• Role of CEO

• Investment Strategies and Techniques

• Case Studies

Week 19-20: Risks

• Basics of international financial markets

• Market and systemic risk

• Seven destroyers of wealth

 Week 21-23: Case Studies

• Students will analyze and explore economic and business concepts through real- life case studies of Fortune 500 and other businessess

Week 24: Role-Playing Economic Scenarios

• Students participate in interactive role-playing games to apply economic concepts in different scenarios

Week 25: Review and Final Projects

• Review of key concepts

• Final project brainstorming and preparation

• Final project presentations: students create a simple business plan and pitch it to the class