Money Smart Main Topics

Financial Education

Financial Education for You

Completing a financial education curriculum can help you obtain knowledge and an understanding of financial matters.  Financial education is the building block of financial capability and can eventually lead to economic mobility.  Financial education classes and events can be found on the Money Smart KC calendar.

Financial Education Curricula and Tools

When picking a curriculum to use, we suggest that you utilize resources that are from trusted sources and are consistently updated.

Sources for financial education curricula are:

  • FDIC Money Smart – a comprehensive financial education curriculum designed to help low- and moderate-income individuals outside the financial mainstream enhance their financial skills and create positive banking relationships.
  • Federal Reserve System – Financial education resources searchable by grade, topic and more.
  • Your Money, Your Goals – CFPB created a set of financial empowerment materials for organizations that help people meet their financial goals by increasing their knowledge, skills, and resources.
  • Jump$tart Financial Education Clearinghouse – Hundreds of financial curricula for youth, teens, adults and seniors.
  • Citizens Bank & Trust – The tools offered here are designed to provide you with information on a number of topics, including: Mortgages, Credit Scores & Reports, Taxes, Insurance and much more!
  • OCC Financial Education Resource Directory

Financial Education Curricula For Youth (K-8th Grade)

  • Money Smart for Young People – The FDIC’s new instructor-led Money Smart for Young People series consists of four free individual grade-level curriculum available for immediate download below. The materials are available for immediate download.
  • Econ Ed at the St. Louis Fed – Our free lesson plans, activities, and readings make it easier for you to teach economics and financial literacy. They offer flexibility and real world connections to help prepare your students with 21st century skills for college and career readiness.We have great resources for consumers and parents, too!
  • The Council for Economic Education (CEE) is the leading non-profit organization in the United States that focuses on personal finance and economic education for students K-12. By providing kids with the knowledge and vocabulary of money, we give them the essential tools to create financial stability and opportunity for themselves, their families and their communities.
  • Junior Achievement offers volunteer-delivered, kindergarten-12th grade programs that foster work-readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills.  To learn more about volunteer opportunities, please email Dina Kostrow at dkostrow@jagkc.org.
  • Next Gen Personal Finance offers Inquiries in which students will work to answer a big question or experience a big idea. Teacher Notes that accompany each Inquiry to provide guidance, tips, learning objectives and standards alignment as well as supplemental resources that extend the scope of the Inquiry. Comprehension Questions to assess student understanding of the Inquiries. Libraries of: Interactives, Videos, Infographics, Articles, & Supplemental Activities complete with descriptions, suggested questions and tips!
  • Hands on Banking – Financial information for kids. We’ll show you where money comes from and the best ways to use it
  • Search for additional curriculum’s at Jumpstart.org.
  • EVERFI – Our interactive curriculum, scalable platform and in-person resources were designed not just to drive financial literacy, but financial capability.
  • Fool Proof Financial  – Provides hours of free, online, video-driven, self-grading financial literacy instruction. And young people do all the teaching. You can use one “module” or you can use the entire curriculum.
  • Dave Ramsey Foundations in Personal Finance –  Foundations in Personal Finance goes beyond practical money basics, equipping educators with resources to help students create new financial habits and transforming the way they approach money altogether. 

Other Financial Education Resources

  • Turn the Page – Works to mobilize the community to achieve reading proficiency at grade level or above for all 3rd graders in Kansas City, Missouri
  • Teach Children to Save – Pairs Kansas City metro area K – 3 grade classrooms with community volunteers each April for a 45-minute classroom-ready lesson about the importance of saving.
  • School of Economics – The School of Economics provides high-quality, full-day field trip experiences for elementary school students from the Greater Kansas City area.
  • My Money –  find games, fun activities, websites, video games, and information about money for kids and youth.
  • Federal Reserve System – Financial education resources searchable by grade, topic and more.

Financial Education Curricula For Teen (9th – 12th Grade)

  • Money Smart for Young People Series Grades 9 – 12 – FDIC uses standards-aligned curriculum series empowers educators with engaging activities to integrate financial education instruction into subjects such as math, English, and social studies.
  • Econ Ed at the St. Louis Fed – Our free lesson plans, activities, and readings make it easier for you to teach economics and financial literacy. They offer flexibility and real world connections to help prepare your students with 21st century skills for college and career readiness. We have great resources for consumers and parents, too!
  • Junior Achievement offers volunteer-delivered, kindergarten-12th grade programs that foster work-readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills.  To learn more about volunteer opportunities, please email Dina Kostrow at dkostrow@jagkc.org.
  • Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF) has designed 12 Units that feature 65 lessons, 200 activities, over 400 curated videos, and much more! Everything we offer from Assessments and Data Crunches to Projects and Case Studies can be found organized into Units on this page. Checking, Saving, Credit, College, Budgeting, Investing, Financial Pitfalls, Career, Taxes, Insurance, and more!
  • Hands on Banking –  Financial information for teens. Money is fun to get and spend. But if you learn some money essentials, you will have more options. Learn money management, how to save, and credit basics.
  • The Council for Economic Education (CEE) is the leading non-profit organization in the United States that focuses on personal finance and economic education for students K-12. By providing kids with the knowledge and vocabulary of money, we give them the essential tools to create financial stability and opportunity for themselves, their families and their communities.
  • EVERFI – Our interactive curriculum, scalable platform and in-person resources were designed not just to drive financial literacy, but financial capability.
  • Search for additional curriculum’s at Jumpstart.org.
  • EVERFI – Our interactive curriculum, scalable platform and in-person resources were designed not just to drive financial literacy, but financial capability.
  • Fool Proof Financial  – Provides hours of free, online, video-driven, self-grading financial literacy instruction. And young people do all the teaching. You can use one “module” or you can use the entire curriculum.
  • Dave Ramsey Foundations in Personal Finance –  Foundations in Personal Finance goes beyond practical money basics, equipping educators with resources to help students create new financial habits and transforming the way they approach money altogether. 

Other Financial Education Resources

  • My Money –  You will find links to information on how to save money, what to think about when shopping and buying, and how to a budget or a plan so you’ll have enough money when you need it.
  • Federal Reserve System – Financial education resources searchable by grade, topic and more.

Financial Education Curricula For Young Adults (College)

  • Money Smart for Adults – FDIC’s instructor-led curriculum consists of eleven training modules that cover basic financial topics.  Topics include a description of deposit and credit services offered by financial institutions, choosing and maintaining a checking account, spending plans, the importance of saving, how to obtain and use credit effectively, and the basics of building or repairing credit.
  • Your Money, Your Goals – a set of financial empowerment materials for organizations that help people meet their financial goals by increasing their knowledge, skills, and resources. Whether you’re helping people get a job, find a place to live, or deal with a legal problem, money always comes up. You can use these tools to start the conversation.
  • Econ Ed at the St. Louis Fed – Our free lesson plans, activities, and readings make it easier for you to teach economics and financial literacy. They offer flexibility and real world connections to help prepare your students with 21st century skills for college and career readiness.
  • The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) is the leading private nonprofit 501(c)(3) national foundation dedicated to inspiring empowered financial decision making for individuals and families through every stage of life. With more than a quarter-century of dedication to the public good, NEFE continues its legacy of service with commitment to providing financial education and practical information to people at all financial levels, including: Youth and adult financial education resources, Training tools from the classroom to the workplace, and Research and consumer surveys
  • Citizens Bank & Trust – The tools offered here are designed to provide you with information on a number of topics, including: Mortgages, Credit Scores & Reports, Taxes, Insurance and much more!
  • Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF) has designed 12 Units that feature 65 lessons, 200 activities, over 400 curated videos, and much more! Everything we offer from Assessments and Data Crunches to Projects and Case Studies can be found organized into Units on this page. Checking, Saving, Credit, College, Budgeting, Investing, Financial Pitfalls, Career, Taxes, Insurance, and more!
  • Hands On Banking –  Financial information for young adults. Make a strong start in your financial life. Learn about creating a spending plan, starting work, and how continuing education after high school could fit into your financial future.
  • Better Money Habits – Education can be a crucial, but expensive part of your future. Discover how to make paying for school more manageable.
  • EVERFI – Our interactive curriculum, scalable platform and in-person resources were designed not just to drive financial literacy, but financial capability.
  • Search for additional curriculum’s at Jumpstart.org.
  • EVERFI – Our interactive curriculum, scalable platform and in-person resources were designed not just to drive financial literacy, but financial capability.
  • Fool Proof Financial  – Provides hours of free, online, video-driven, self-grading financial literacy instruction. And young people do all the teaching. You can use one “module” or you can use the entire curriculum.
  • Dave Ramsey Foundations in Personal Finance –  Foundations in Personal Finance goes beyond practical money basics, equipping educators with resources to help students create new financial habits and transforming the way they approach money altogether. 
  • Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF) has designed 12 Units that feature 65 lessons, 200 activities, over 400 curated videos, and much more! Everything we offer from Assessments and Data Crunches to Projects and Case Studies can be found organized into Units on this page. Checking, Saving, Credit, College, Budgeting, Investing, Financial Pitfalls, Career, Taxes, Insurance, and more

Other Financial Education Resources

  • Reality U – Helps students understand some of the “realities” involved in preparing for an employable future and adulthood as they learn about income, debt, credit, and the cost of raising a family.
  • MyMoney – Looking for help with making the best financial choices about major life events? Use this page to locate federal brochures, publications, websites and videos that can assist. The resources provide background information, helpful guidance, and hints and tips to assist with your decisions.
  • Next Generation Personal Finance – offers a free online curriculum of 65+ complete lessons and 200+ standalone activities you can access from anywhere.
  • Federal Reserve System– Financial education resources searchable by grade, topic and more.

Financial Education Curricula For Adults

  • Money Smart for Adults – FDIC’s instructor-led curriculum consists of eleven training modules that cover basic financial topics.  Topics include a description of deposit and credit services offered by financial institutions, choosing and maintaining a checking account, spending plans, the importance of saving, how to obtain and use credit effectively, and the basics of building or repairing credit.
  • Your Money, Your Goals – CFPB created a set of financial empowerment materials for organizations that help people meet their financial goals by increasing their knowledge, skills, and resources. Whether you’re helping people get a job, find a place to live, or deal with a legal problem, money always comes up. You can use these tools to start the conversation.
  • Econ Ed at the St. Louis Fed – Our free lesson plans, activities, and readings make it easier for you to teach economics and financial literacy. They offer flexibility and real world connections to help prepare your students with 21st century skills for college and career readiness.
  • The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) is the leading private nonprofit 501(c)(3) national foundation dedicated to inspiring empowered financial decision making for individuals and families through every stage of life. With more than a quarter-century of dedication to the public good, NEFE continues its legacy of service with commitment to providing financial education and practical information to people at all financial levels, including: Youth and adult financial education resources, Training tools from the classroom to the workplace, and Research and consumer surveys
  • Citizens Bank & Trust – The tools offered here are designed to provide you with information on a number of topics, including: Mortgages, Credit Scores & Reports, Taxes, Insurance and much more!
  • Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF) has designed 12 Units that feature 65 lessons, 200 activities, over 400 curated videos, and much more! Everything we offer from Assessments and Data Crunches to Projects and Case Studies can be found organized into Units on this page. Checking, Saving, Credit, College, Budgeting, Investing, Financial Pitfalls, Career, Taxes, Insurance, and more!
  • Hands On Banking –  Learn how to manage your money responsibly, use credit, protect your finances, and reach your financial goals.
  • Better Money Habits –  When it comes to your money, a little knowledge can go a long way. Choose from topics like Credit, Debt, Saving & budgeting, Home Ownership, Auto, Retirement, Privacy & security, Personal Banking, Taxes & Income, College and start exploring.
  • EVERFI – Our interactive curriculum, scalable platform and in-person resources were designed not just to drive financial literacy, but financial capability.
  • Search for additional curriculum’s at Jumpstart.org.

Other Financial Education Resources

  • MyMoney – Looking for help with making the best financial choices about major life events? Use this page to locate federal brochures, publications, websites and videos that can assist. The resources provide background information, helpful guidance, and hints and tips to assist with your decisions.
  • Next Generation Personal Finance – offers a free online curriculum of 65+ complete lessons and 200+ standalone activities you can access from anywhere.
  • Federal Reserve System– Financial education resources searchable by grade, topic and more.

Financial Education Curricula For Seniors

  • Money Smart for Older Adults (MSOA) is an instructor-led training developed jointly by the FDIC and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The curriculum has been enhanced with new information and resources that allow older adults and their caregivers to make comprehensive financial decisions with confidence. Learn about common types of fraud and scams and how to prevent elder financial exploitation. Most importantly, discover ways to keep your information safe and secure through advanced planning
  • Federal Reserve System– Financial education resources searchable by grade, topic and more.
  • Econ Ed at the St. Louis Fed – Our free lesson plans, activities, and readings make it easier for you to teach economics and financial literacy. They offer flexibility and real world connections to help prepare your students with 21st century skills for college and career readiness.
  • Your Money, Your Goals – CFPB created a set of financial empowerment materials for organizations that help people meet their financial goals by increasing their knowledge, skills, and resources. Whether you’re helping people get a job, find a place to live, or deal with a legal problem, money always comes up. You can use these tools to start the conversation.
  • Citizens Bank & Trust – The tools offered here are designed to provide you with information on a number of topics, including: Mortgages, Credit Scores & Reports, Taxes, Insurance and much more!
  • Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF) has designed 12 Units that feature 65 lessons, 200 activities, over 400 curated videos, and much more! Everything we offer from Assessments and Data Crunches to Projects and Case Studies can be found organized into Units on this page. Checking, Saving, Credit, College, Budgeting, Investing, Financial Pitfalls, Career, Taxes, Insurance, and more!
  • EVERFI – Our interactive curriculum, scalable platform and in-person resources were designed not just to drive financial literacy, but financial capability.
  • Search for additional curriculum’s at Jumpstart.org.

Other Financial Education Resources

  • AARP’s Retirement Calculator has been redesigned. This financial tool has enhanced usability and accurate results. New features allow a user to develop a retirement plan for a dual-income family, and calculate and include Social Security benefits in their retirement income
  • Ballpark E$timate The American Savings Education Council’s (ASEC) Ballpark E$timate is an easy-to-use, two-page worksheet that helps you quickly identify approximately how much you need to save for retirement. The Ballpark E$timate takes complicated issues like projected Social Security benefits and earnings assumptions on savings, and turns them into language and mathematics that are easy to understand.
  • My Retirement Paycheck, a Web site offered by NEFE, encourages individuals and couples to make smart decisions about retirement.
  • Planning for Retirement is the CFPB and Social Security Administration’s tool to help consumers make informed decisions about when to claim their Social Security benefits.
  • U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration’s provides information on choosing a retirement plan for small businesses.
  • When to Take Social Security: It Pays to Wait, is a toolkit offered by the National Academy of Social Insurance that includes a three-minute video (in English and Spanish), a one-page fact sheet, and a 16-page brief to educate workers nearing retirement about the advantages of delaying their Social Security benefits beyond age 62.
  • Better Money Habits –  When it comes to your money, a little knowledge can go a long way. Choose from topics like Credit, Debt, Saving & budgeting, Home Ownership, Auto, Retirement, Privacy & security, Personal Banking, Taxes & Income, College and start exploring.
  • Hands on Banking – Financial information for seniors. Healthy financial habits can help you feel comfortable during your retirement. Learn about retirement strategies and managing your finances. You’ll also learn how to recognize and prevent elder financial abuse.
  • MyMoney – Looking for help with making the best financial choices about major life events? Use this page to locate federal brochures, publications, websites and videos that can assist. The resources provide background information, helpful guidance, and hints and tips to assist with your decisions.
  • Other senior resources –  Senior Finances on MoneySmartKC

Financial Education Curricula For Military and Veternans

  • Money Smart for Older Adults (MSOA) is an instructor-led training developed jointly by the FDIC and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The curriculum has been enhanced with new information and resources that allow older adults and their caregivers to make comprehensive financial decisions with confidence. Learn about common types of fraud and scams and how to prevent elder financial exploitation. Most importantly, discover ways to keep your information safe and secure through advanced planning
  • Federal Reserve System– Financial education resources searchable by grade, topic and more.
  • Econ Ed at the St. Louis Fed – Our free lesson plans, activities, and readings make it easier for you to teach economics and financial literacy. They offer flexibility and real world connections to help prepare your students with 21st century skills for college and career readiness.
  • Citizens Bank & Trust – The tools offered here are designed to provide you with information on a number of topics, including: Mortgages, Credit Scores & Reports, Taxes, Insurance and much more!
  • Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF) has designed 12 Units that feature 65 lessons, 200 activities, over 400 curated videos, and much more! Everything we offer from Assessments and Data Crunches to Projects and Case Studies can be found organized into Units on this page. Checking, Saving, Credit, College, Budgeting, Investing, Financial Pitfalls, Career, Taxes, Insurance, and more!
  • Hands on Banking – Financial information for service members. Create a spending plan, learn how to establish credit, and prepare financially for PCS and deployment.
  • EVERFI – Our interactive curriculum, scalable platform and in-person resources were designed not just to drive financial literacy, but financial capability.
  • Search for additional curriculum’s at Jumpstart.org.

Other Financial Education Resources

  • Association of Military Banks of America (AMBA) is a not-for-profit association of banks operating on military installations, banks not located on military installations but serving military customers, and military banking facilities designated by the U.S. Treasury.
  • CFPB Office of Servicemember Affairs provides information for servicemembers.
  • Military.Consumer.gov is the site for the Federal Trade Commission’s Military Consumer campaign.
  • Military OneSource is a confidential Department of Defense-funded program providing comprehensive information on every aspect of military life at no cost to active duty, Guard and Reserve Component members, and their families.
  • SaveAndInvest.org provides unbiased financial tools and information from the FINRA Foundation to help military families and all investors make informed financial decisions.
  • Other Military/Veterans Resources – Find more information on Military/Veterans on MoneySmartKC

Financial Education Curricula For Disabled

  • FDIC Money Smart – a comprehensive financial education curriculum designed to help low- and moderate-income individuals outside the financial mainstream enhance their financial skills and create positive banking relationships.
  • Your Money, Your Goals – CFPB created a set of financial empowerment materials for organizations that help people meet their financial goals by increasing their knowledge, skills, and resources.
  • Focus on People with Disabilities-This guide contains tips, information, tools, and skill-building resources for people with disabilities and from organizations that serve the disability community. It’s based on the idea that everyone has a right to control their own money and make their own financial decisions. The companion guide includes 11 new tools that are fully dynamic and accessible for how to:
    • Set up an Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Account and build savings
    • Pay for assistive technology to achieve independence
    • Understand how income from work impacts Social Security Income (SSI)
    • Identify financial abuse and exploitation and how to get assistance

Financial Education Curricula Small Business/Entrepreneurs

  • FDIC Money Smart for Small Business, an instructor-led small business curriculum created by the SBA and FDIC, is designed to provide introductory-style training for new and aspiring entrepreneurs. The 13 modules provide essential information on running a small business from a financial standpoint.
  • Federal Reserve Bank of KC Small Business Resources – We support community economic development by providing information, research and resources for economic developers and small business owners.
  • BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust Its mission is to advance trust in the marketplace through programs that promote best practices and business ethics, raise consumer awareness and training about scams, fraud, and deceptive advertising, and build financial and digital literacy. The Institute offers in-person and online training, print and digital educational resources, scholarships and programs.
  • The Small Business Administration (SBA) administers the Small Business Development Centers program to provide management assistance to current and prospective small business owners.
  • SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to encouraging the formation, growth, and success of small business through counseling and mentor programs
  • The Association for Enterprise Opportunity is a national association of organizations committed to microenterprise development and maintains a clearinghouse of microenterprise development programs.
  • The Microfinance Gateway is a public forum for the microfinance industry at large that offers a wealth of tailored services for microfinance professionals, including resource centers on specific topics in microfinance, a searchable library of electronic documents, a consultant database, a new bulletin board, and specialized discussion groups. The Gateway’s resources constitute a comprehensive source of information on microfinance on the World Wide Web, featuring 3900 online documents and over 900 listings of microfinance institutions (MFIs).
  • Hands on Banking – Financial information for entrepreneurs. Find tools and information to help you start, manage, and grow a business.
  • EVERFI – Our interactive curriculum, scalable platform and in-person resources were designed not just to drive financial literacy, but financial capability.
  • Search for additional curriculum’s at Jumpstart.org.
  • Other small business/entrepreneur resources – Other Entrepreneur information on MoneySmartKC

Financial Education Activities and Games

  • The Stock Market Game– An online simulation of the global capital markets that engages student’s grades 4-12 in the world of economics, investing and personal finance and that has prepared 15 million students for financially independent futures.
  • EconEdLink – Use technology to help teach economics and financial literacy through simulations, games, videos and other inter-actives.
  • Buying a Home (English and Spanish) – use these calculators to learn what to consider when entering the housing market
  • College Activity (English and Spanish) – learn how you can save for college to help minimize student loan debt
  • Family Finances Activity (English and Spanish) – test yours budgeting skills through decision-making within a family setting
  • H&R Block Budget Challenge – Learn and practice real-world money management skills such as paying bills, managing expenses, saving money, investing in retirement and more in real time.
  • Life Values Quiz – Most of us don’t realize what’s behind the thousands of financial decisions we make every year. And, if we are in a relationship, we are even less certain about why our partners make the decisions they do. If you want to demystify your money behaviors, start here with the Life Values quiz. – See more at: http://www.smartaboutmoney.org/Tools-Resources/LifeValues-Quiz#sthash.fAz0LuCf.dpuf
  • The Mint – Try activities, challenges and calculators that deal with spending, saving, borrowing, earning and more.
  • Be Your Own Boss Challenge – take a quiz to find out if you might be a good fit for running your own business
  • Credit Card IQ Quiz – find out how much you know about credit
  • Spending Challenge – learn about how your choices can affect your money management
  • What Kind of Spender Are You? Quiz – answer questions to find out your spending habits
  • When Will You Be a Millionaire Calculator – find out how long it can take to be a millionaire based on your savings choices
  • Practical Money Skills for Life Games – – Access online financial education interactive in a game-based environment.
  • Countdown to Retirement – learn about retirement through a lifestyle choice game
  • Financial Football – test your money management skills through a football simulated game
  • Financial Soccer – test your money management skills through a soccer simulated game
  • Money Metropolis – learn about savings goals and ways to save
  • Peter Pig’s Money Counter – practice sorting and counting money
  • Jump$tart’s Reality Check – Fill in the choices in this quick and easy online calculator to see if you can afford your dream life. You might be surprised at how much that life will cost.

Financial Coaching

Calendar of Financial Education Classes and Events

Teacher Resources

Professional Development For Educators
  • Credit Abuse Resistance Education Program (C.A.R.E) This program is a one-hour, interactive presentation by judges and lawyers focusing on the proper use of credit cards, the cost of credit, the effects of credit card use, and the economic and personal effects of credit card abuse.  It was developed to educate young people, mainly high school juniors and seniors, about the hazards and pitfalls of credit card use and abuse.  To arrange a presentation, please contact the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts at 816-512-1883 (Missouri) or 913-735-2110 (Kansas) or contact Kerry Brown at Kerry_Brown@mow.uscourts.gov.
  • Council for Economic Education offers both online and in-person professional development opportunities for educators throughout the country.  To find in-person workshops in your area, please visit our Activities by State page, where you can find the website and contact information for the CEE affiliate closest to you.
  • Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City – Teacher workshops are available every summer and webinars are offered year-round on a variety of topics. Both are free to K-16 educators and education professionals and feature hot topics tied to economics and personal finance.
  • Kansas Council for Economic Education – Resources to equip Kansas teachers to educate Kansas students (K-12) on the principles of economics and personal finance.
  • Kansas State Department of Education – Kansas classroom educators can learn about certification procedures and requirements.
  • Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education – Missouri classroom educators can learn about certification procedures and requirements and professional development opportunities in their region.
  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)-The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is pleased to announce that the Money Circle Toolkit has been released and is available to the public on the CFPB’s website. The Bureau invites educators to join us for Introducing the Money Circle Toolkit, a training webinar on how to use the Toolkit, on Thursday, August 29, 2019, at 2:00 pm EDT.The Money Circle Toolkit is a new financial education tool that helps people understand how family and friends influence their financial decisions. It features three interactive exercises for educators to use to begin client conversations that help people stay on track for their financial goals. Based on empirical research on families and money, human-centered design, and extensive user testing with educators, the Money Circle Toolkit contributes an important new tool to the evidence-based practice of financial education.

    Educators are invited to download the Money Circle Toolkit here:

    https://www.consumerfinance.gov/practitioner-resources/adult-financial-education/tools-and-resources#money-motivations

Teacher Resources

National Personal Finance Standards for K-12 Education
  • Teacher Online Resource Center – The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) are working together to make it easier for schools to bring financial education into the classroom by developing a one-stop-shop for educators.
  • Federal Reserve System – Financial education resources searchable by grade, topic and more.
  • Council on Economic Education Standards
  • Jump$tart Standards
  • Junior Achievement offers volunteer-delivered, kindergarten-12th grade programs that foster work-readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills.  To learn more about volunteer opportunities, please email Dina Kostrow at dkostrow@jagkc.org.
  • NEFE offers free resources for those who teach financial education skills to underserved audiences through financial planning, social services, community organizations, volunteerism and human resource-related tools.
  • The State of Personal Finance Education Across the Nation – View a map detailing how personal finance is integrated within the school systems throughout the United States.
  • School of Economics – Programs specific for Grades 2nd-3rd and 4th-6th.
Financial Education Teaching Tools

The following list highlights K-12 curricula that aligns to content standards and is designed to promote financial understanding in young people. The curricula address the concepts of budgeting, credit, saving, investing and more through hands-on classroom-ready lessons and activities.

  • FDIC’s Money Smart Financial Education Program – Features four free age-appropriate curriculums that are designed to promote financial understanding in young people.
  • FDIC’s Money Smart Teaching Tools – Training & Events
  • EconEdLink – Links to lessons, interactive tools, professional development opportunities and student financial literacy competitions across the country.
  • Federal Reserve Education – Equips educators, educates students and empowers consumers through lesson plans, games, activities, online courses, multimedia-based tools and more, searchable by grade range, topic, correlation to national content standards and format. Features over 250 free resources tied to personal finance concepts.
  • Jump$tart Coalition – Showcases an online library of financial education resources for teachers, parents, caregivers and anyone committed to financial smarts for students.
  • Kansas Council for Economic Education – Resources to equip Kansas teachers to educate Kansas students (K-12) on the principles of economics and personal finance.
  • Missouri Council on Economic Education – Provides access to free classroom lessons on earning income, buying goods and services, saving, using credit and financial investing.
  • Money As You Learn – Offers educators texts, lessons, and tasks that connect the Common Core to real life applications while also equipping students with the knowledge needed to make smart financial decisions.
  • Money Math: Lessons for Life – Features a four-lesson curriculum supplement for middle school math classes using real-life examples in personal finance.
  • Next Gen Personal Finance – Next Gen Personal Finance offers a free online curriculum of 65+ complete lessons and 100+ standalone activities you can access from anywhere. Preview lessons and activities and easily access them on the Gooru platform.
  • Practical Money Skills For Life – Helps consumers, educators, parents, policymakers and students of all ages learn the essentials of personal finance through articles, games and lesson plans.
  • School of Economics – This section of the website is for teachers who have scheduled field trips to the School of Economics for the 2017-2018 academic year. It includes preparation checklists, forms needed for student businesses, information about volunteers, and links to financial education curriculum.
  • Banzai-Banzai is a free, online financial literacy for students of all ages. It’s interactive and fun. Over 40,000 math, business, family and consumer science, and computer teachers have joined the program nationwide.
  • FoolProof Teacher Curriculum ResourceFoolProof’s Financial Literacy Curriculum is free, web-driven, highly interactive, and self-grading. The middle school and high school curriculum was developed with input from teachers, students, and consumer advocates, not with input from marketers.It teaches kids to be skeptical of anyone or any company that wants to touch their money or their welfare. Online “modules” teach young people personal financial responsibility and consumer self-defense skills. Classroom activities and individual essay assignments are also included to reinforce module lessons.FoolProof’s modules take students about 22 45-minute sessions to complete. You can use one or all modules, and modules can be assigned as homework.

Teacher Resources

Community Organizations
  • Family Financial Transformations™Catholic Charities of Northeast KansasDesigned to help break the cycle of debt and give families the tools to better manage their fi­nances,Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas is now enrolling families in the Family Financial Transformations program. Participants work with a team of professionals who are committed to helping families reach financial self-sufficiency. During this 12-month program, participants receive one on one budget coaching, group topic classes, and a personal financial mentor. Geared for the whole family, childcare is provided for younger children and those children eight years and older are able to participate in their own age-appropriate financial education classes. Graduating participants also enjoy personal and educational incentives alongside ongoing mentorship.* The Family Financial Transformations™ program is currently only offered in Johnson and Wyandotte Counties.Contact Kimberly Burau at 913.906.8996 or kburau@catholiccharitiesks.org or Meagan Cashell at 913.433.2005 or mcashell@catholiccharitiesks.org
  • Kansas Loan Pool Project (KLPP)Catholic Charities of Northeast KansasRecognizing that predatory lending such as payday and title loans contributes to the hardships, Catholic Charities offers a loan refinance program in partnership with Country Club Bank and Bank of Blue Valley.The Kansas Loan Pool Project (KLPP) is designed to help eliminate high-interest title or payday loans by issuing participants a new, low-interest loan. Each participant is enrolled in a financial education series to help develop a long-term financial plan and budget. They are also assigned a Catholic Charities case manager specialist to provide ongoing monthly support.Eligibility and program requirements include:
    • Total amount of Payday or Title loans must not exceed $1,500
    • Must have stable, traceable income
    • Budget must reflect ability to make monthly loan payments
    • Monthly case management for the duration of the loan
    • Attendance of financial education courses mandatory

    Contact the Kansas Loan Pool Hotline at 913.433.2050

  • Lead to Read – Connects trusted, caring adult volunteers with 1 – 4 grade kids in urban schools for 30 minutes per week.
  • Mad City Money – Gives youth a taste of the real world within a school setting as they experience a budget simulation activity.
  • Metro Lutheran Ministry – Learn how we minister to our Kansas City area neighbors who are poor, elderly or disabled.
  • Your Money, Your Goals- If your organization serves economically vulnerable populations and you are interested in gaining more intensive support for your consumer financial empowerment efforts, you can apply for the Your Money, Your Goals 2020 cohort. We are looking for approximately 40 organizations from across the country that are interested in using the Your Money, Your Goals toolkitissue-focused booklets, and companion guides to help build the financial well-being of the people they serve. Members of the cohort will receive training, materials, and technical assistance, including support to develop and execute their Your Money, Your Goals implementation plans. The Office of Community Affairs is interested in working with organizations that serve economically vulnerable populations to equip frontline staff and volunteers to introduce financial capability topics in their meetings with the people they serve.                                                                                                                                                                                                               These organizations may include:
  • public and private social service organizations
  • faith-based organization
  • legal aid organizations
  • volunteer organizations
  • local governments
  • financial institutions
  • organizations focused on entrepreneurship and economic development

You can read more about the selection criteria and how to apply hereThe deadline for the application is September 6, 2019.

You can learn more about the process by joining us on August 7, 2019 at 3:00 Eastern for a webinar. Email YourMoneyYourGoals@cfpb.gov to RSVP.

To learn more, read our blog.

Teachers Professional Section

Encourage a banking relationship or the benefits of banking

Visit the following Money Smart Topics for helpful information and links.

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