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Youth Financial Literacy & Wealth Building Initiative · Grades 6–8 · Chicagoland

Curriculum

Practical skills. Active learning. A safer first step.

Eight connected modules turn financial vocabulary into decisions students can practice, explain, and revisit at home—without asking them to share private household information.

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Learning architecture

Eight modules that reinforce one another.

Each module uses plain language, fictional examples, discussion, creation, and reflection. Partners can begin with one topic or build a longer sequence.

Module 1

Budgeting & money choices

Practice planning with needs, wants, tradeoffs, and a clear purpose for every dollar.

  • Create a simple spending plan
  • Sort needs and wants
  • Explain a tradeoff

Module 2

Saving & goal setting

Turn a meaningful goal into manageable steps and build the habit of tracking progress.

  • Set a specific goal
  • Compare saving strategies
  • Track progress

Module 3

Credit basics

Understand borrowing, repayment, interest, credit history, and identity protection.

  • Explain responsible borrowing
  • Read a fictional statement
  • Name fraud warning signs

Module 4

Investing fundamentals

Explore time, risk, diversification, and long-term thinking through simulations only.

  • Describe risk and return
  • Practice diversification
  • Recognize long-term thinking

Module 5

Entrepreneurship

Shape a useful idea, name the customer, estimate costs, and explain value with confidence.

  • Identify a customer need
  • Estimate simple costs
  • Pitch a useful solution

Module 6

Digital business & e-commerce

Learn the basics of online offers, ethical marketing, privacy, customer service, and safety.

  • Map an online customer journey
  • Discuss ethical marketing
  • Protect privacy

Module 7

Careers & income

Connect skills, education, earning, benefits, taxes, and multiple career pathways.

  • Connect skills to careers
  • Read a sample pay stub
  • Compare total compensation

Module 8

Wealth-building habits

Practice patience, consistency, protection, generosity, and learning before acting.

  • Build a habit plan
  • Use a decision checklist
  • Reflect before acting

Sample student experiences

Students make something they can explain.

Budget Studio

Build a fictional monthly plan, respond to a surprise cost, and defend one tradeoff.

Savings Goal Lab

Choose a goal, test different timelines, and create a realistic progress tracker.

Venture Pitch

Design a useful offer, estimate starter costs, and present value to a peer audience.

Decision Debrief

Use a repeatable pause–compare–choose–reflect routine after each simulation.

Flexible formats

Fit the learning to the setting.

Single workshop

A focused introduction or family-facing event built around one priority topic.

Multi-week series

A connected sequence with practice, reflection, and a culminating student product.

After-school cohort

Project-based enrichment with room for entrepreneurship and career exploration.

Family showcase

Students explain what they learned and invite healthy money conversations at home.

Educational simulations—not personalized financial advice.

Students are not asked to open accounts, trade real securities, share household finances, or provide credentials. Activities use fictional examples and adult-guided discussion.

Build the right learning sequence for your students.

Tell us the setting, grade range, timing, and skills you want to reinforce. We’ll follow up about fit and current availability.

Discuss the curriculum