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Financial Footings - Step 1
Developed for Grades K-2
Beginning with basic information, students are introduced to coins and bills, the connection between working and earning money, discerning needs from wants, and the role of banks and credit unions. Each learning unit contains one activity designed for younger students and one activity for older students.
Financial Footings - Step 2
Developed for Grades 3-6
Introduces elementary-aged youth to the world of personal finance. Students learn a brief history of money, the concent of supply and demand, how to create a budget, how to utilize banks and credit unions, and how credit and interest work.
- Presenter's Guide (Revised 2019)
- Student Guide (Revised 2019)
- Virtual Learning Presentation - Module 1: Money Matters (2021)
- Virtual Learning Presentation - Module 2: Manage It (2021)
- Virtual Learning Presentation - Module 3: Get Banked (2021)
- Virtual Learning Presentation - Module 4: Smart Future (2021)
- Activity: Money Game (Revised 2019)
- Activity: Bills, Bills, Bills (Revised 2019)
- Activity: Budget Game (Revised 2019)
- Activity: Currency (Revised 2019)
- Student Guide-Spanish (Revised 2018)
- Suggest Better Spanish Translations (Revised 2018)
Financial Framings
Developed for Middle School
Provides finance education while framing personal financial decisions within the larger local and global economies. Curriculum is taught through an interactive, game-like format, which engages students by presenting real-world economic scenarios.
- Activity: Factors of Influence Cards (Revised 2018)
- Presenter's Guide (Revised 2019)
- Activity: Flow of Money (Revised 2019)
- Activity: Scenario Cards (Revised 2018)
- Student Poster (Revised 2019)
- Student Poster-Spanish (Revised 2018)
- PowerPoint Presentation (Revised 2018)
- Suggest Better Spanish Translations (Revised 2018)
Pathways
Developed for High School and Postsecondary
The Pathways program helps students successfully transition from high school to postsecondary education (and beyond) through informed and proactive financial decisions. Pathways helps students navigate the complex maze of financial decisions - from loan agreements to household budgeting to choosing a career - that accompanies adulthood.
- Participant Guide (Revised 2019)
- Pathways Interactive Workbook (2020)
- Student Poster (Revised 2019)
- Presenter's Guide (Revised 2019)
- Career & Education Path Presentation (Revised 2019)
- Comparing Schools & Costs Presentation (Revised 2019)
- Financing College Presentation (Revised 2020)
- Managing Debt Accumulation Presentation (Revised 2019)
- Managing Debt After College Presentation (Revised 2019)
- Financing College | Handout: Aid at a glance (Revised 2020)
- Financing College | Handout: Federal Grant Programs (Revised 2020)
- Financing College | Handout: Federal Loan Programs (Revised 2020)
- Managing Debt After College I Handout I Repaying Your Loans (Revised 2018)
Virtual Learning Materials
Presentation slide decks formatted to facilitate online delivery of programming are now available. Slides include additional opportunities for engaging participants in a virtual environment.
- Footings 1 - Online Interactive Activities (2020)
- Footings 2 - Module 1: Money Matters Presentation (2021)
- Footings 2 - Module 2: Manage It Presentation (2021)
- Footings 2 - Module 3: Get Banked Presentation (2021)
- Footings 2 - Module 4: Smart Future Presentation (2021)
- Foundations - Banking Presentation (2020)
- Foundations - Budgeting Presentation (2020)
- Foundations - Credit Presentation (2020)
- Foundations - Investing Presentation (2020)
- Foundations - Risk Management Presentation (2020)
- Foundations (Spanish) - Banking Presentation (2020)
- Foundations (Spanish) - Budgeting Presentation (2020)
- Foundations (Spanish) - Credit Presentation (2020)
- Foundations (Spanish) - Investing Presentation (2020)
- Foundations (Spanish) - Risk Management Presentation (2020)
Financial Foundations - Banking
Banking is important to understand because participation in banking services is typically one's first exposure to the financial world. Having a strong relationship with a financial institution and properly managing a bank account can provide a strong foundation for future financial transactions one might require. In this section, we introduce financial institutions, how they work and how you can utilize them in managing your money.
Financial Foundations - Budgeting
Budgeting is the foundation of personal financial planning. Budgeting allows us to manage our money by tracking our income and expenses. Since every person is different, it is important to know how to create a budget to use for our own specific needs.
Financial Foundations - Credit
In today's economic society it would be rare to not use credit to pay for items such as a large purchase, car repairs or any type of emergency situation. Credit can be an overwhelming topic, but understanding credit is critical for managing one's finances responsibly, as credit can affect many aspects of your life.
Financial Foundations - Investing
Investing is an excellent way to build wealth and achieve your financial goals in life. This guide will help you understand the key principles of investing.
Financial Foundations - Risk Management
Many times, individuals feel that they are paying money into insurance policies but not getting their fair share back. This is not how insurance should be viewed. Purchasing insurance is a way to manage risk. With insurance, you are paying for the protection of your assets and should hope that you do not have to use it, since using insurance sometimes means something bad happened.
Foundations - Spanish
- Foundations Participant Guide- Spanish (Revised 2018)
- Banking Presentation - Spanish (Refurbished 2020)
- Budgeting Presentation - Spanish (Refurbished 2020)
- Credit Presentation - Spanish (Refurbished 2020)
- Investing Presentation - Spanish (Refurbished 2020)
- Risk Management Presentation - Spanish (Refurbished 2020)
- Suggest Better Spanish Translations (Revised 2018)
SAFE - Goals and Tools
Participants learn to craft SMART Goals to achieve their dreams. They explore the basics of budgeting including strategies for managing income and expenses. Finally, they study financial products and services as tools for managing their accounts and saving for their dreams.
SAFE - Income and Taxes
Participants identify a career that aligns with their lifestyle goals, analyzing their future income potential. They explore taxpayer rights and responsibilities and education-related deductions, credits, and plans for which they may be eligible. They finish this session by examining the process of tax collection and the importance of financial record keeping.
SAFE - Credit and Debt
Participants explore the value of good credit, how credit reporting works, and the components of a good credit score. They review the types of student loans available and examine how to make the best use of these loans, to leverage credit to achieve their goals.
SAFE - Protecting Yourself
Participants explore ways to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft or how to recover if their identity is stolen. They also explore types of insurance and how insurance can help them manage the risks of day-to-day life.
SAFE - Savings and Retirement
Participants explore the value of compound interest in light of various types of investments. They examine critical concepts such as diversification and risk versus return as they review an array of retirement savings options.
Forward
Forward's intended outcome is to empower economically vulnerable adults with the knowledge and skills to enhance their financial stability.
Forward-Envisioning the Life I Want
In the first Forward module, participants identify the dreams that motivate them and then practice using SMART goals to create action plans to achieve them. These plans outline how they will use their personal strengths and resources to address potential barriers, creating a plan that can move their dreams to DONE!
Forward-Funding the Life I Want
In the second Forward module, participants equip themselves with the tools they need to fund the goals they set in the Envisioning session. Each participant creates a personal savings plan with a savings goal, amount to save per month, and ways to increase cash and reduce expenses to generate money to save.
Forward-Managing the Life I Want
In the third Forward module, participants practice reading a pay stub and explore different options for receiving income and benefits. They explore wage garnishments and how to get their wage garnishment questions answered. Participants complete income and spending trackers to record and analyze their personal income and expenses as a way to improve their financial stability.
Forward-Living the Life I Want
In the fourth Forward module, participants explore ways to prioritize their bills when cash is short. They complete a needs assessment to identify their most important bills, focusing on protecting their job, shelter, insurance premiums, and financial status. Participants complete the session by developing a cash flow budget that aligns with the timing of their income and expenses. This adaptation of the traditional monthly budget to better fit one's personal circumstances can help reduce stress and enhance financial well-being.