This electronic resource library for grades K–12 provides links to programs that are appropriate for use in the classroom or at home as a resource for students, teachers, and parents who want to increase financial literacy. This is a partial list of the wide universe of resources available to the public. To submit a financial literacy program for consideration of being included in this electronic resource library, please contact Roxane Fidler, History-Social Science Consultant, by phone at 916-323-4861 by e-mail at rfidler@cde.ca.gov.
The ABCs of Financial Literacy (Outside Source)
The Summit Bank Foundation produces and sponsors this program that provides comprehensive curriculum guides for grades K–12, lesson plans, and weekly sets of newspapers at no cost to educators.
America/Banks (Outside Source) and its partnerships help provide basic money management education and foster asset accumulation for low- and moderate-income adults, children, families, and communities.
Bad Credit Hotel (Outside Source)
The US Treasury and Ad Council teamed up to provide this interactive site to educate young adults about how to keep their credit reports clean and the dangers of accumulating a large amount of credit card debt.
Banking on Our Future (Outside Source)
The mission of the Banking on Our Future (BOOF) program is to execute a global delivery system for financial education for youth ages 9–18 at no cost to school districts, with a focus on urban, low-wealth communities. This program is sponsored by Operation Hope.
BizKid$ (Outside Source)
BizKid$ is a contemporary, fast-paced series aimed at children and young adults that currently airs on most PBS stations nationwide. This site offers video clips from the series based on essential financial literacy and economic concepts. It also offers curriculum in English and Spanish to accompany some of the clips.
Building Personal Wealth (Outside Source) provides news, tips, and advice to compare mortgage rates, home equity loans, CDs, car loans, credit cards, and money market accounts.
Calculator Plus (Outside Source) is a comprehensive source of free online financial calculators. This site includes calculators to estimate mortgage payments as well as credit card and auto loans.
The California Council on Economic Education (Outside Source) provides economic and financial literacy resources for K-12 teachers and students, including lesson plans, student contests, and curricula programs.
The California Department of Financial Institutions Kids (Outside Source)
This page provides links to governmental agencies and community organizations to help children learn about money and money management.
The California Department of Real Estate (DRE) (Outside Source) funded the development of educational videos and workbooks to help prepare young adults for the experiences of renting and buying a home. The videos are approximately 20 minutes in length with closed captioning for the hearing impaired. Topics include financial preparation, the importance of good credit, and budgeting. These resources are available free of charge.
California Reality Check (Outside Source) is an online budgeting exercise that enables students to build a budget that supports the lifestyle they would like to achieve as adults, and then links those budget choices to occupational and educational goals. The site includes a free downloadable workbook.
Chalkboard Kids (Outside Source)
This financial literacy resource provides interactive modules for students to learn financial concepts they need to succeed in life. These financial literacy modules examine key concepts such as wants vs. needs, goal-setting, creating a budget, investing, banking, and community support, among others.
The FDIC’s Money Smart for Young Adults (Outside Source) curriculum helps youth ages 12–20 learn the basics of handling their money and finances, including how to create positive relationships with financial institutions. Money Smart for Young Adults consists of eight instructor-led modules. Each module includes a fully scripted instructor guide, participant guide, and overhead slides. The materials also include an optional computer-based scenario that allows students to complete realistic exercises based on each module. The curriculum is free, aligned with state educational standards, and there are no copyright restrictions.
FHA Mortgage Center.com (Outside Source) is an expert resource providing consumers with a wealth of information on FHA home financing. This resource provides definitions for terms commonly found in mortgage and home financing circles.
Financial FYI (Outside Source)
Each week this program provides short, informative, financial news items, business statistics, economic research, and online polls to encourage financial discussions.
Hands on Banking (Outside Source)
Hands on Banking / El futuro en tus manos is a fun, free financial education program created by Wells Fargo. This innovative, award-winning program provides all the basics of money management in an easy-to-use format that's ideal for the classroom. The animated, narrated lessons in English and Spanish for four age groups (from 4th grade through adults) is non-commercial, meet educational standards, and are packed with valuable financial tools and tips.
High School Financial Planning Program (Outside Source)
This curriculum includes a student manuals, an instructor’s guide, and a number of Web pages that offer a large, continually growing collection of resources, articles, and financial tools for teachers, students, and parents.
Jump$tart's (Outside Source) aim is to identify high-quality personal finance materials for educational use. The clearinghouse is a database of personal finance resources available from a variety of education providers such as government, business, and non-profit organizations.
In "Kids & Cash," (Outside Source) the Nightly Business Report of the PBS reports on the sad state of financial literacy in the U.S. and offers tips on teaching financial basics to young people.
Knowledge is Your Greatest Asset: Financial Education Program (Outside Source)
Designed for almost any audience, this site offers basic lessons in personal finances. The Curriculum and accompanying Facilitator's Guide are available in Spanish and English, and can be used with audiences of any age group.
Money in Motion (Outside Source)
This site sponsored by the American Bankers Organization offers free lesson plans for students in grades 7–12 about wise money management. It also provides a classroom poster, financial literacy quizzes, and a student finance guide all free of charge.
Money Math: Lessons for Life (Outside Source)
Money Math: Lessons for Life is a free four-lesson curriculum supplement designed for students grades 7–9 to learn math concepts using real-life examples from personal finance. The downloadable book features a teacher’s guide with lesson plans, and student reproducible activity pages.
Money Matters 101 (Outside Source)
Offers a series of free financial literacy lesson plans for educators to use in the classroom. Based on actual articles from USA TODAY, lesson topics include saving for now and for later, being prepared for a financial crisis, using credit cards, protecting yourself from online scams and much more. The lessons will enable educators to use real-world examples to help teach students about finances and planning. Each of these lessons will be posted online for unlimited use and discussion in the classroom and are sponsored by Great American Financial Resources, Inc.
Money Talks for Teens (Outside Source) provides resources for teens to become more fiscally responsible, including: appropriate banking and saving practices, proper credit use, and employment tips.
MoneyWi$e (Outside Source) a national financial literacy partnership of Consumer Action and Capital One, is the first program of its kind to combine free, multilingual financial education materials, curricula, and teaching aids with regional meetings and roundtables to train community-based organization staff so that consumers at all income levels and walks of life can be reached.
Money Wise Teen (Outside Source)
The MoneyWiseTeen is an internationally award winning program for middle and high school students. Through ten animated vignettes, students learn basic economic concepts in a financial context.
MyMoney.gov (Outside Source)
MyMoney.gov is the U.S. government's website dedicated to teaching all Americans the basics about financial education. Whether you are planning to buy a home, balancing your checkbook, or investing in your 401k, the resources on MyMoney.gov can help.
National Endowment for Financial Education (Outside Source)
Practical resources and materials specially created with educators and facilitators in mind.
Personal Finance Glossary (Outside Source) provides more than 700 financial terms and definitions.
The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (Outside Source) is a nonprofit consumer organization with a two-part mission—consumer information and consumer advocacy.
Practical Money Skills For Life (Outside Source) is aimed at adults and youths, consumers, and educators. It is offered in three languages—English, Spanish, and Chinese—and consists of award-winning curriculum that has been teacher tested and approved. Visa supplements its Practical Money Skills for Life program with two other initiatives: MoneyChoices (Outside Source) an online resource housed on Visa.com; and Financial Football (Outside Source)—a creative and interactive approach to financial literacy education in the classroom.
Sallie Mae’s Education Investment Planner (Outside Source)
Sallie Mae’s Education Investment Planner allows you to estimate and compare costs for thousands of schools. The site explores different ways to save for college and pay off loans after graduation.
The Sallie Mae Scholarship Search Tool and Education Investment Planner® (Outside Source) are free tools for students and their families that provide access to scholarships and budgeting tools to plan for the cost of college.
Security and Credit Basics (Outside Source) is invested in helping cardholders nurture and protect their financial wellbeing. This section offers you tips on budgeting, handling debt, and financial management; and suggestions on guarding the privacy and security of your personal account information and your financial transactions.
The Springboard FIT Academy (Outside Source) provides personal financial online courses on budgeting, credit, and identity theft prevention. The online courses offer pre and post tests, videos, and other resources in improving personal financial literacy, including an eBook library with educational material available for free download.
Stagecoach Island (Outside Source) is an online virtual world created by Wells Fargo. You can explore the island and its hidden secrets, connect with friends and make new ones, and at the same time learn smart money management.
The Stock Market Game (Outside Source) gives students the chance to invest a hypothetical $100,000 in an on-line portfolio. They think they're playing a game. You know they're learning economic and financial concepts they'll use for the rest of their lives.
VA Mortgage Center.com (Outside Source) is an organization dedicated to providing mortgage services to United States military veterans. This resource includes an extensive glossary of lending and financial terms.
