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Grades K–12 Financial Literacy Resources

Resources for individuals interested in financial literacy for kindergarten through grade twelve students.

This electronic resource library for kindergarten through grade twelve (K–12) provides links to programs and resources from nonprofit organizations that support increased financial literacy for students, educators, and families.

This is a partial list of the wide universe of resources available to the public. To submit a financial literacy program or resource for consideration to be included in this electronic resource library, please contact the Professional Learning Innovations Office at PLIO@cde.ca.gov. Submissions should come from nonprofit organizations that provide free, useful, and high-quality resources and opportunities for K–12 students, educators, and families.

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Foundations

Content Standards

California Career Technical (CTE) Model Curriculum Standards in Business and Finance (2013) (PDF)
These standards include concepts central to entrepreneurship and business operations, such as financial decision making, career planning, and budgeting.

CTE Model Curriculum Standards in Education, Child Development, and Family Services Industry Sector (2013) (PDF)
Includes the role of the U.S. economic system on personal finances, emphasizing personal financial management skills that would support a variety of life pathways.

California Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts and Literacy (PDF)
Instructional standards that stress critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills that are required for success in college, career, and life. Spanish translations are available on the Common Core en Español website External link opens in new window or tab..

California CCSS for Mathematics (PDF)
Standards that concentrate on a clear set of math skills and concepts, spread out over multiple domains related to financial literacy, such as measurement and data, and ratios and proportional relationships. Spanish translations are available on the Common Core en Español website External link opens in new window or tab..

History-Social Science (HSS) Content Standards (1998) (PDF)
California high school students are required to take one semester of economics to graduate. The content standards for grade twelve economics include topics that support financial literacy knowledge, such as cost-benefit analyses, the functions of financial markets, taxes, and labor policies.

Frameworks

HSS Framework (2016)
References financial literacy, including considerations for an elective grade nine financial literacy course (PDF) that districts can choose to offer students.

Mathematics Framework, Appendix A: Financial Literacy and Mathematics Education (PDF)
Offers instructional planning with strategies that support students in kindergarten through grade twelve (K–12) in learning key financial literacy concepts for career and college success.

National Standards and Frameworks

Council for Economic Education (CEE) National Standards for Financial Literacy K–12 External link opens in new window or tab.
Unified national standards in personal finance developed in 2021 to promote effective, comprehensive, financial education for K–12 students. The standards identify knowledge, skills, and decision-making abilities that all young people should acquire, and are organized around six topic areas with expectations for the end of grades 4,8, and 12. Earlier versions of standards are available from Jump$tart External link opens in new window or tab. .

CEE Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics External link opens in new window or tab.
Standards designed primarily for curriculum developers. They include the 20 most important and enduring ideas, concepts, and issues, as well as benchmarks for financial literacy education.

National Financial Educators Council Financial Literacy Standards for Educators, Learners, and Best Practices Educational Methodologies External link opens in new window or tab.
Resources for individuals and groups seeking to create their own personal finance courses, including standards for financial coaching, a framework for teaching personal finance, and a guidebook on educational methodologies for personal finance. These resources are especially useful for educators of financial literacy seeking to improve their own familiarity with the subject matter.

Research and Reports

CEE Survey of the States: Economic and Personal Finance in our Nation’s School External link opens in new window or tab.
This biennial report provides a comprehensive look into K–12 economic and financial literacy education in the United States.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Youth Financial Education External link opens in new window or tab.
The CFPB conducts research and develops research-based content for K‒12 teachers, administrators, education leaders, youth workers, researchers, and community leaders to support youth financial education. Resources include a developmental model, progress measuring guide, review of youth financial education, policy recommendations, and more.

NextGen Personal Finance (NGPF) State of Financial Education Report External link opens in new window or tab.
Each year, NGPF analyzes thousands of course catalogs from U.S. public high schools to pinpoint access to a standalone semester course in personal finance. They also maintain a live U.S. dashboard External link opens in new window or tab. and bill tracker External link opens in new window or tab. .

Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) External link opens in new window or tab.
The PISA measures fifteen-year-old students' reading, mathematics, and science literacy every three years. The assessment includes a section on financial literacy.

Glossaries

CFPB Financial Terms Glossary External link opens in new window or tab.
Contains terms educators may find useful when teaching financial literacy.

Federal Housing Administration Loan and Mortgage Glossary External link opens in new window or tab.
Definitions for terms commonly found in mortgage and home financing circles.

Curriculum Support

Personal Finance Education Summit

On March 26, 2024, State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) Tony Thurmond hosted a Personal Finance Education Summit to address current and future efforts to support personal finance education for K–12 students, especially those in marginalized communities. During the summit, which featured a panel of financial and education leaders, the SSPI announced support for Assembly Bill 2927 External link opens in new window or tab. , which will require completion of a one-semester personal finance education course for California high school graduation commencing with students graduating in the 2030–31. The SSPI also announced his recruitment efforts for a Personal Finance Task Force to inform implementation of personal finance education for K–12 students across the state, especially as a source of economic empowerment for those in marginalized communities. A recording of the Personal Finance Education Summit External link opens in new window or tab. (Video 1:07:01) is available for viewing.

Financial Literacy Education Organizations

The below organizations have it all: lesson plans, curricula programs, student contests, professional development, research, and more. These resources span kindergarten through grade twelve (K–12), and many provide customizable support.

California Council on Economic Education (CCEE) External link opens in new window or tab.
Founded as part of the California State University Foundation to provide economics and financial literacy training, the CCEE works with California teachers to support K–12 financial literacy and economics. They provide comprehensive economic and financial literacy resources for teachers and students, including lesson plans, student contests, and curricula programs.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Educator Tools External link opens in new window or tab.
Tools and programs to encourage financial education and capability from childhood through retirement, including research External link opens in new window or tab., a searchable database External link opens in new window or tab. of activities, and resources for servicemembers and veterans External link opens in new window or tab.. The CFPB’s youth financial education website External link opens in new window or tab. contains guides for educators and parents along with activities for grades K–12. The activities are based on the building blocks of financial capability External link opens in new window or tab., a research-based framework for helping students at different developmental stages to acquire the skills and knowledge associated with adult financial well-being.

EconEdLink External link opens in new window or tab.
Free classroom resources, family resources, and professional development, including a searchable database of resources External link opens in new window or tab..

Jump$tart External link opens in new window or tab.
This national nonprofit coalition consists of more than 100 organizations that share a commitment to “financial smarts for students” by providing resources and training to support financial literacy education, including resources to support online learning External link opens in new window or tab. aimed at educators and adult learners. Their clearinghouse External link opens in new window or tab. is a database of personal finance resources available from a variety of education providers such as government, business, and nonprofit organizations. Check out Jump$tart CA External link opens in new window or tab. for resources geared specifically towards California educators, students, and families.

Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF) External link opens in new window or tab.
NGPF provides a wide variety of up-to-date resources for teachers, students, and families. Resources include games (for both students and instructors), free curriculum units customizable by course length (for both middle and high school), case studies, Questions of the Day External link opens in new window or tab., a video library, efficacy assessment, blog, podcast, and more.

Curricula for Kindergarten through Grade Twelve

California CareerZone External link opens in new window or tab. (Free Account Required)
Includes an online budgeting exercise called “Make Money Choices” 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 options.

California History-Social Science Project (CHSSP) Resources to Support Student Learning External link opens in new window or tab.
The CHSSP provides HSS resources for teachers and families to consider using in a variety of environments, including strategies, ideas, and inspiration External link opens in new window or tab.. for teachers designing distance learning and families helping children learn at home.

Consumer.gov External link opens in new window or tab.
This website provides consumer protection basics to help everyone manage and use money wisely, use credit and loans carefully, and protect identities. Their Toolbox External link opens in new window or tab. is a public education website of the Federal Trade Commission, which offers resources focused on educating high school students and adults about managing income, credit, loans, debt and scams and identity theft.

Financial Beginnings External link opens in new window or tab.
General financial literacy resources for teachers, students, and other stakeholders, including guides for both educators and participants, as well as ready-made presentations, activities, in-class materials, and Spanish versions of most curricula.

FoolProof Academy External link opens in new window or tab.
Free, online curriculum for middle and high school students and teaches financial literacy critical thinking skills. The curriculum includes group activities and individual assignments for time-saving classroom implementation.

High School Financial Planning Program Curriculum External link opens in new window or tab.
Designed primarily for in-person use, this curriculum includes a student manual, an instructor’s guide, and other resources to support financial literacy education. They also provide modules geared towards student use inside and out of the classroom.

Illustrative Mathematics External link opens in new window or tab.
Provides several free curricular resources to support Common Core-related skills and activities in mathematics and financial literacy, including setting goals, delayed gratification, and saving money.

Invest in What’s Next: Life After High School External link opens in new window or tab.
Offered by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco External link opens in new window or tab., this program includes interactive lessons for students in grades nine through twelve, will develop personal finance knowledge and skills to implement a career and/or education path after high school.

Kiddynomics: An Economics Curriculum for Young Learners External link opens in new window or tab.
Set of lessons offered by the St. Louis Fed designed to introduce young children to the economic way of thinking.

Knowledge@Wharton High School External link opens in new window or tab.
Video glossary, articles, and other resources to support high school teachers, students, and families in deepening their understanding of financial literacy.

MindTreasures ABCs of Wealth External link opens in new window or tab.
Character-based curriculum that addresses the spiritual, psychological, emotional, and technical aspects of finances, in addition to traditional content. The full ABCs of Wealth curriculum is available for free educator download, including workbooks, facilitator manuals, and supplemental materials.

Money As You Learn External link opens in new window or tab.
Provides tools to help educators integrate personal finance into teaching the Common Core. Search for aligned texts, lessons, and tasks that connect the Common Core to real life applications that also emphasize financial literacy skills. Includes resources for both Mathematics and English.

Money Counts: Young Adults and Financial Literacy External link opens in new window or tab. is National Public Radio’s External link opens in new window or tab. central location for stories, podcasts, and other resources to support teaching financial literacy through current events and commentary.

Money Math: Lessons for Life External link opens in new window or tab.
This four-lesson curriculum supplement is designed for students in grades seven through nine 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 Smart for Young People External link opens in new window or tab.
Pre-kindergarten through twelve curricula from the FDIC that includes an educator guide and student guide for grades three through twelve, PowerPoint slides, and a parent/caregiver guide with activities to support classroom learning at home. The Teacher Online Resource Center External link opens in new window or tab. includes videos, articles and links to useful websites. The Youth Banking Resource Center External link opens in new window or tab. offers updated financial literacy learning, while the Youth Employment Resource Center External link opens in new window or tab. offers tools to connect financial education to workforce programs.

Money Talks for Teens External link opens in new window or tab.
This University of California resource, available in both English and Spanish, helps teens to become more fiscally responsible. Topics include appropriate banking and saving practices, proper credit use, and employment tips.

Smart About Money External link opens in new window or tab.
This program provides free customizable online courses, tools, articles, frequently asked questions, values quizzes, and other resources to help people improve financial literacy knowledge and skills.

Stock Market Game External link opens in new window or tab.
Gives students the chance to invest a hypothetical $100,000 in an online portfolio. The program optionally culminates in the InvestWrite External link opens in new window or tab. challenge, a national essay competition.

The U.S. Courts External link opens in new window or tab.
The Federal Court system offers financial literacy activities for students in high school, college, vocational programs, and early-career jobs. Designed for judges and lawyers to use with students in the courtroom or classroom, each lesson guides students in understanding the facts surrounding bankruptcy and making wise financial choices.

Student Challenges and Competitions

Capitol Hill Challenge (CHC) External link opens in new window or tab.
The CHC matches Members of Congress with middle or high school students, teachers, and schools to participate in a personal finance and economics competition. CHC features the Stock Market Game™ Program, in which student teams manage a hypothetical $100,000 portfolio of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, impact investments and cash.

Council on Economic Education (CEE) National Economic Challenge (NEC) External link opens in new window or tab.
The NEC tests micro and macroeconomic principles as well as knowledge of the world economy. Teams of three-to-four high school students compete on a state level, and then can proceed to a national competition.

CEE National Personal Finance Challenge External link opens in new window or tab.
This opportunity is for students to demonstrate their knowledge of personal finance by connecting with other students from across each state in an online competition. Students may also consider starting with the CEE California Financial Challenge External link opens in new window or tab. .

Students and Families

The below resources support financial literacy education efforts outside of the classroom.

Apps and Games

Bite of Reality External link opens in new window or tab.
Simulates the financial realities of the cost of housing, transportation, food, clothing, household necessities, day care, and other needs. Teens will experience financial decisions that give them a better understanding of preparing and living on a budget.

MassMutual FutureSmart External link opens in new window or tab.
Simulation-based app that focuses on daily financial decisions and positive financial behaviors. Available in English and Spanish.

Money Fit My Life Choices Student Edition External link opens in new window or tab.
A game of financial choice and consequence geared at middle and high school students, as well as college students.

Financial Literacy Information and Tools

America Saves External link opens in new window or tab.
National campaign seeking to motivate, encourage, and support low-to-moderate-income American households to save money, reduce debt, and build wealth.

California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation External link opens in new window or tab.
Provides brochures, videos, publications, and other resources to provide consumers with tools to make smart financial decisions.

Consumer.gov External link opens in new window or tab.
Users will find information on consumer protection basics to help everyone manage and use money wisely, use credit and loans carefully, and protect identities.

Credit.org External link opens in new window or tab.
This site provides courses on budgeting, credit, and identity theft prevention. The 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.

FutureSmart External link opens in new window or tab.
Collection of interactive resources to help parents and students become more financially knowledgeable and confident. Resources include worksheets, flashcards, an app, and articles.

Jump$tart Reality Check Income and Expense Calculator External link opens in new window or tab.
This tool is useful when exploring cost-of-living and budgeting skills.

Money as You Grow: Help for Parents and Caregivers External link opens in new window or tab.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau provides these tools to help parents, families, and caregivers understand and talk about the basics of financial literacy. Resources include a tracking tool for children’s age-appropriate money milestones, guidelines for talking to children about money, and recommended books to help families practice financial literacy skills. Hard copies of these publications are also available for order External link opens in new window or tab..

Money Counts: Young Adults and Financial Literacy External link opens in new window or tab.
This National Public Radio (NPR) page is a central location to find NPR’s news stories, podcasts, and other resources that focus on financial literacy issues for young people.

MyMoney.gov External link opens in new window or tab.
This federal government site provides basic financial education information, including buying homes, balancing budgets, and planning for retirement.

National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) External link opens in new window or tab.
NEFE offers a variety of financial literacy self-help resources for use at home and in the community. They also offer a life values quiz, interactive calculators, and financial decision aids and worksheets.

Pigly External link opens in new window or tab.
Wide variety of calculators External link opens in new window or tab. (including a history External link opens in new window or tab. of the calculator itself), and extensive Kids’ Guide to Emergency Savings External link opens in new window or tab..

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse External link opens in new window or tab.
Resources for learning about privacy rights, including background checks, credit reports, debt collection, and identity theft.

Sallie Mae Paying for College External link opens in new window or tab.
Extensive resources for options on paying for college, including a scholarship and grant search tool External link opens in new window or tab. , college planning calculator, webinars, and extensive information on the Free Application for Student Aid and financial aid.

Podcasts

Planet Money External link opens in new window or tab.
This National Public Radio (NPR) podcast series uses storytelling to break down the economics and financial literacy concepts that form the basis of current issues in our society in a way that is engaging and informative.

Next Gen Personal Finance Podcast External link opens in new window or tab.
Weekly podcast featuring interviews with educators, authors, advocates, students, entrepreneurs and others about a wide variety of financial literacy topics.

Professional Learning

The below organizations provide training and support for financial literacy educators. Many programs offer certifications or micro-credentials. Please keep in mind that some of these certifications have associate fees, some of which can be off-set by grants. Many certifications also offer an opportunity to purchase Continuing Education Units.

California Association of School Economics Teachers (CASET) External link opens in new window or tab.
Organization of educators promoting the effective teaching of economic principles for kindergarten through grade twelve (K–12). CASET also provides teacher curriculum design resources External link opens in new window or tab., hosts the Economics for Empowerment Summer Seminar External link opens in new window or tab. , and facilitates the California Exceptional Economics Teacher Certification External link opens in new window or tab. opportunity.

Certified Personal & Family Finance Educator (CPFFE) External link opens in new window or tab.
The CPFFE Program, offered by the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences, is assessment-based and consistent with the U.S. Department of Treasury Financial Education Core Competencies and National Standards in K–12 Personal Finance Education created by the Jump$tart Coalition.

Council on Economics Professional Development External link opens in new window or tab.
The National Council on Economics offers training through EconEdLink External link opens in new window or tab.. They provide live webinars, on-demand webinars, and local professional development options.

Institute for Financial Literacy Annual Conference on Financial Education External link opens in new window or tab.
This conference is a showcase for financial literacy strategies, tips, techniques, and resources attended by representatives from credit unions, banks, kindergarten through grade twelve (K–12) education, social services, debt management, government, and military.

Jump$tart Financial Foundations for Educators (J$FFE) External link opens in new window or tab.
The J$FFE is a model that arose out of a collaborative initiative to standardize teacher training in personal finance. J$FFE was designed to ensure consistency and rigor in national teacher training programs. The model is free, complements many existing training programs, is suitable for teachers in grades K–12, and includes customization options.

Jump$tart National Educator Conference (NEC) External link opens in new window or tab.
The Jump$tart NEC offers professional development for teachers of grades Pre-Kindergarten through grade twelve who want to incorporate financial literacy into the curriculum. For teachers, it is an all-scholarship event, offering tools and information they can use in their classrooms as soon as they return to school.

Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF) External link opens in new window or tab.
Provides a variety of training options for educators. Teachers can earn free NGPF certification External link opens in new window or tab., participate in online professional development, access a toolkit, and sign up for Fincamps. NGPF also provides an extensive grant and partnership program External link opens in new window or tab. to individuals and institutions seeking to promote high quality financial literacy education in a variety of learning environments.

W!se Personal Financial Certification for Educators External link opens in new window or tab.
Program aims to help high school students graduate as financially capable young adults. Participating high schools teach a course or unit on personal finance and then administer a national, standardized Financial Literacy Certification Test.
Questions:   Professional Learning Innovations Office | PLIO@cde.ca.gov | 916-323-6269
Last Reviewed: Tuesday, July 30, 2024