Middle School & High School Financial Literacy

Students | Parents | Educators

Take advantage of these educational tools and resources to help strengthen individual and family financial literacy:

For Middle School & High School Teachers & Other Educators

Curriculum

• Youth Issues: Affluenza – University of Minnesota Extension – Teach a lesson on affluenza, the epidemic related to the dogged pursuit of the American dream, to youth.
• Be the “E”—Entrepreneurship – National 4-H (curriculum sampler) Learn how to own your business, be your own boss, make money…
• Consumer Savvy – National 4-H (curriculum) See Consumer Roadmap for grades 9-12 plus a helper’s guide
• Financial Champions – National 4-H (curriculum) Experiential learning with youth guides, helper's guide, and an interactive web game
• Money Smart – Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (Web site) FDIC training helps adults outside the financial mainstream enhance their money skills
• Hands on Banking – Wells Fargo (Web site) A fun way to learn basics of smart money management.
• Money Math: Lessons for Life – U.S. Department of the Treasury (curriculum) Students grades 7-9 learn math concepts using real-life examples from personal finance
• NEFE High School Financial Planning Program – National Endowment for Financial Education (Web site) A free non-commercial financial education program for high school students.
• Financial Fitness for Life – National Council on Economic Education (school-based curricula) Multifaceted, comprehensive economic and financial literacy program for grades K-12.
• Learning, Earning & Investing – National Council on Economic Education (curricula) Investor education for students in grades 4 – 12.
• Practical Money Skills for Life – Visa(Web site) Includes resources for parents & teachers, including lesson plans, calculators and games.

Resources

• Smart Money Connections – KMSQ (videos) – Program series geared toward Generation X/Y (ages 18 to 35) to get them thinking about their financial future and introduce them to investing skills and concepts; features real-life video clips and live audience.
• Money Quotes: Energizer or Get-Acquainted Activity - University of Minnesota Extension (PDF) Money quote puzzles can be used to introduce financial management topic.
• Help Minnesota Save (Web site) For direct service staff helpingpeople become economically secure through financial literacy education and asset building.
• Minnesota Attorney General (Web site) Consumer protection, housing, healthcare, seniors, cars, personal finance, identity theft, charities, fraud…
• Minnesota Department of Commerce  (Web site) Information and guidance about banking and insurance
• Minnesota Council on Economic Education (Web site) Provides Minnesotans with economic and financial understanding for a complex, global environment
• Prom Spending Plan – North Dakota State Extension Service (Training Kit) Affluenza concepts applied to planning for the prom.
• Jump Start Coalition (Web site) Improving financial literacy of kindergarten - college youth through advocacy, research, standards and education.
• National Council on Economic Education (Web site) A nationwide network that promotes economic literacy with students and teachers
• High School Financial Planning Program® (HSFPP) (Web site) A collaboration with Extension. Find a credit union professional to speak in your classroom.
• Federal Reserve Education (Web site) Materials to increase your understanding of the Federal Reserve, economics and financial education
• Affluenza – PBS (Web site) Television special explores materialism: teacher's guide resources, 100 ways to address affluenza.
• Choose to Save – American Savings and Education Council (Web site) Dedicated to improving financial literacy and preparing individuals for long-term financial independence.
• Better Investing – National Association of Investors Corporation (Web site) Nonprofit volunteer organization provides objective education, tools, and a proven investment methodology.
• Consumer Jungle – Nonprofit (Web site) Curricula helps students become literate, savvy consumers with interactive games, activities, information.
• CUNA Resources for Young Adults – Credit Union National Association (Web site) Links to resources to help teens learn to manage their money.
• Family Involvement Council – Minnesota Credit Union Network (Web site) Credit Union staff speak/teach in your classroom? Find out how.
• Understanding Your FICO® Score – Fair Isaac Corporation (PDF) How the credit score is used to determine consumer credit worthiness.
• Student Aid on the Web –  U.S. Department of Education (Web site) Excellent overview of financial aid, eligibility and college lending.
• Federal Trade Commission (Web site) Provides consumer protection information.
• HomeFair – National Association of Realtors (Web site) Helps make informed choices about relocation, mortgages, and related topics.
• Institute of Consumer Financial Education (ICFE) – Nonprofit (Web site) Provides financial information and personal finance education on many topics.
• The Investors Clearinghouse – Alliance for Investor Education (Web site) Young investors: building wealth, 529 savings plans, kid’s savings game and calculators.
• It All Adds Up – National Council on Economic Education (Web site) On-line games on credit, buying a car, budgeting, saving, investing, paying for college.
• Jobs Now Coalition (Web site) Committed to all Minnesota workers having opportunity to earn a family-supporting wage.
• The Mint – Northwestern Mutual and the National Council on Economic Education (Web site) Interactive activities on earning, saving, spending, tracking, investing, owing, giving and safeguarding.
• Law Help Minnesota (Web site) Helping low-income Minnesotans solve civil legal problems.
• NEFE Financial Education Evaluation Toolkit – National Endowment for Financial Education® (Web site) Helps financial educators understand and apply evaluation concepts to document program impact.
• U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (Web site) Students and teachers can learn more about saving and investing.
• The Stock Market Game – Foundation for Investor Education (Web site) Simulated stock market game for students to invest $100,000 in a real portfolio, track results.
• Young American’s Center for Financial Education – Nonprofit (Web site) Programs teach young people 21 and under about finance, economics and business.
• Consumer Savvy – National 4-H (Web site) See Consumer Roadmap for grades 9-12 plus a helper’s guide

Research

• Capital One's Annual Back to School Survey – Capital One (news release) Teens eager to learn about money, yet parents overlook opportunities to talk.
• National K-12 Financial Literacy Qualitative & Quantitative Research – Networks Financial Institute, Indiana State University (PDF slide set) Teachers need financial literacy training and think it’s important to teach.
• 2008 Financial Literacy Surveys of High School and College Students – Jump $tart Coalition (Web site) Download summaries of the surveys and results.
• Making the Case for Financial Literacy 2008 – Jump $tart Coalition (Web site) A collection of personal finance statistics gathered from other sources
• 2001 Parent, Children & Money Survey – TIAA-CREF Institute and American Savings Education Council (documents) Survey about how parents teach children about certain financial issues, and results.
• Financial Literacy: Improving Education – Jump$tart Coalition (document) 2006 Survey examines why money management courses have not been more effective.
• Teens & Money Survey, 2007 – Charles Schwab (PDF) Insights into Money Attitudes, Behaviors and Concerns of Teens
• Consumer Insight:  Shedding Light on Key Prospects – Targeting Teens – Newspaper Association of America (PDF)
  The teen market still thrives with diverse interests and immense buying power.
• Dēmos – Non-partisan public policy research (reports) Their publications library holds numerous documents pertaining to expanding economic opportunity
• Spending Power of the Teen Consumer – Market Research.com (publication) Trends, misperceptions and influences on teens’ attitudes toward money.
• Survey of Consumer Finances – Federal Reserve Board (publications) The balance sheet, pension, income, and other demographic characteristics of U.S. families.