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Lasse Leponiemi

Chairman, The HundrED Foundation
first.last@hundred.org

The Stepping Stones Investment Education Program

Fun, Financial Literacy Books for Kids

Stepping Stones uses mathematics and reading comprehension to introduce and educate third grade students about the tools and concepts of investing. By using visual character metaphores, the program allows children to engage with the subject matter in a non-intimidative manner, which increases learning capabilities, and enhances the educational process.

Overview

Information on this page is provided by the innovator and has not been evaluated by HundrED.

Updated October 2026
Web presence

2001

Established

1

Countries
Students basic
Target group
By introducing all children to these concepts, and not just those from priviledged backgrounds, I hope to democratise access to the investing process. If our children can begin to associate the importance of these tools alongside reading and mathematics, I believe that their usage will increase, and that's a good thing for society, as a whole.

About the innovation

Why did you create this innovation?

I created Stepping Stones to address a critical need which was absent in our core curriculums: the understanding of the tools and concepts which broaden the divide between the haves and have nots. My program seeks to introduce these wealth building resources to our children in as early a period as possible (3rd Grade), so that they will become comfortable with their utility along with their standardized reading and mathematics initiatives.

What does your innovation look like in practice?

Allowing children to become familiar with the tools and concepts of investing eliminates the intimidation and fear associated with these resources. Early exposure is key to this transition.

How has it been spreading?

I created the program way back in 2001, long before "Financial Literacy" was a catchphrase. This early adoption provides a long-lived basis as a pioneer in this area, as opposed to others who have simply jumped on the bandwagon recently.

How have you modified or added to your innovation?

Back in 2001, information about the program had to be spread by word-of-mouth, which was a bit frustrating at the time. Today, interested parties can simply head over to Amazon at the following link:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Stepping+Stones+Investment+Education+Program&i=stripbooks&crid=X6MD7111BL43&sprefix=steepping+stones+investment+education+program%2Cstripbooks%2C5
This modification has helped spread its message more easily.

If I want to try it, what should I do?

Simply head over to Amazon at this link:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Stepping+Stones+Investment+Education+Program&i=stripbooks&crid=X6MD7111BL43&sprefix=steepping+stones+investment+education+program%2Cstripbooks%2C5
If interested in paperback versions, contact me at TheRealRhodes777@protonmail.com.

Implementation steps

Purchase the Program
Through Amazon at:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Stepping+Stones+Investment+Education+Program&i=stripbooks&crid=X6MD7111BL43&sprefix=steepping+stones+investment+education+program%2Cstripbooks%2C5
the program can be purchased in digital form. If interested in paperback, contact me at TheRealRhodes777@protonmail.com.
Execute the Program
The series arrives in a 3 book format. The first book is called "Dexter Learns About Stocks". Have the students read the book aloud, one student, and paragraph at a time, and answer the questions at the end of the book.
Execute the Program
The second book is called "Dexter Learns About Bonds". Follow the same steps as the previous instructions.
Execute the Program
The final book is called "Dexter Learns About Stocks and Bonds Activity Booklet". It has puzzles and games within it to ensure that the information in the first two books were completely understood. Have students complete the puzzles, one page at a time, and select those who finish first to come to the chalkboard and explain how they arrived at the answer.