An alien named Quasar crash-landed on Earth—and decided to teach kids how to save, invest, and plan for their futures.
Yes, really. And it all started with one woman’s vision for financial literacy in schools.
.png)
Back in 2015, I met Chris Gaynor, VP of Bank of Nevada. Meeting Chris was like popping a bottle of champagne—she sparkled, radiated warmth, and brought this infectious energy that was both fun and fiercely kind. Little did I know how much she’d change my life—and help spark something incredible at Green Our Planet.
Chris became a passionate board member and, along with her brilliant colleague Jerrie Merritt, made a bold pitch to me: We need a financial literacy and entrepreneurship curriculum for kids. I remember Chris saying, “If students can learn to grow food and run their own farmers markets, they can absolutely learn to manage money and write a business plan.”
Chris was deeply committed to equity. She knew financial literacy was one of the most powerful tools to break cycles of poverty in America. She also shared a tough truth: over 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and people with low financial literacy are five times more likely to be unable to cover one month of living expenses. She wanted to change that—for kids, for families, for entire communities.
Since 2016, Green Our Planet has been integrating entrepreneurship and financial literacy into our school garden and hydroponics programs across 1,100 schools. And now… something magical (and a little intergalactic) is about to launch.
On April 22nd—Earth Day—we’re officially launching the brand-new Green Our Planet K-12 Financial Literacy Curriculum. And it’s not just any curriculum. It’s a full-blown adventure.
Meet Quasar, an alien from the planet Numera, who crash-landed on Earth and—while waiting for his spaceship to be fixed—decided to help young Earthlings master their resources. On Numera, they manage their “plenars” (money) brilliantly, and Quasar thought, “Why not share a few tips with the kids down here?”
Each lesson in the curriculum includes a short film that takes students on a journey—with Quasar guiding them through saving, investing, budgeting, even exploring whether college or trade school might be right for them. It’s fun, it’s engaging, and it’s packed with video lessons that our Green Our Planet Studios team created alongside amazing teachers and students.
Best of all? Thanks to the generous support of Bank of Nevada, Tom and Leslie Thomas, and Credit One, the program will be available for free to every teacher in Nevada through Green Our Planet's Magic Garden Portal—and accessible to community organizations across the state.
This curriculum is a love letter to Chris’ vision, a joyful new way to empower the next generation, and a reminder that learning can be both practical and wildly fun.
Chris’ legacy already lives on through our Giant Student Farmers Markets—and now, with Quasar by our side, her vision is expanding into classrooms across the state.
Stay tuned for more updates and get ready to celebrate on Earth Day!
With so much gratitude and excitement,
Ciara Byrne, CEO
