Tools & Resources for Teaching Financial Literacy & Economics

• Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis - Free, high-quality economics and personal finance resources and professional development to improve instruction in pre-k through college classrooms.

• Econ Lowdown - Free online learning platform that provides modules, articles, videos and podcasts for teaching economics and personal finance.

• My First Nest Egg - Ready to teach your kids smart money habits, before they need a debit card? My First Nest Egg was created by Moms to instill healthy habits starting at age 3.

• FEE Foundation for Economic Education - Access to engaging activities, educational videos, and powerful presentations curated in lessons for you or your classroom.

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - Order FREE classroom resources

• Peter Pig’s Money Counter - Peter Pig makes learning about money fun thanks to this interactive game that teaches kids how to count and save money. After completing the game, players are rewarded with a trip to the virtual store. They can buy accessories within budget so they can dress up Peter Pig in fun costumes and accessories.

• Wise Pockets - Wise Pockets is a financially savvy koala that hosts this interactive, online game. Kids learn the basics of budgeting and managing money.

• Counting Coins - Teach your students how to count with coins using this fun free online game sponsored by the U.S. Mint. Counting With Coins teaches basic math concepts and coin identification for grades K-2 in a fun grocery store setting.

• My Classroom Economy - Easily customizable by grade level, My Classroom Economy allows students to learn by building their very own classroom “country”. Kids earn school “dollars” so that they can rent their own desks and face other real-world financial scenarios. This way, they can see first hand how individual and collective choices impact the economy.  

• Hands on Banking - The elementary school modules of this free, bilingual, financial education program show kids where money comes from. Plus, it teaches how they can best use money, and how banks help keep it safe. 

• Time for Kids - A powerful teaching tool, TIME for Kids builds reading and writing skills and now financial literacy! Their monthly magazine—Your $—brings financial education to fourth, fifth, and sixth graders across the country in a fun and engaging way.

• Gen I Revolution: Online Personal Finance Game - Developed for middle school and high school students, this online game gives students the chance to learn important personal finance skills as they play and compete against fellow classmates. 

• The Stock Market Game - Play the market (without having to worry about losing it all) with the Stock Market Game. Not only does this tool help students build a fundamental understanding of investing, it also provides them with real-world skills practice in math. 

• Take Charge Today - Take Charge Today offers more than 75 lesson plans designed, tested, and edited in collaboration with university researchers, financial industry experts and classroom educators.

• MoneySkill - This free, interactive, reality-based online curriculum educates students in middle and high school on the basic understanding of money management fundamentals.  

• Everfi - Helps teachers, schools, and districts bring real-world money management skills to students. The interactive digital platform has over 100+ interactive, game-based lessons for teachers to better engage students.

• NEFE’s High School Financial Planning Program (HSFPP) - NEFE’s High School Financial Planning Program® (HSFPP) guides students through tasks so that they can apply financial decisions to their own lives and return in the future to do it again successfully.

• Econ Reimagined - Interactive Tools for Principals of Microeconomics - Customized active learning tables, graphs, and calculation simulations where students can work to demonstrate their mastery of the concepts and component skills in microeconomics.

• Dollar Street - Understanding everyday life at different income levels through images.

• Educational Comic Books - The Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s free comic books are an engaging classroom resource for teachers to use in their social studies and economics lessons. Order a set for your classroom today! (English and Spanish versions)

• Federal Trade Commission - Free publications about scams, privacy, credit, and more. You can download and print a few copies, or order in bulk.

• MarketPlace - Financially Inclined Podcast - Financial literacy podcast hosted by Yanely Espinal from NGPF

• FDIC’s Play Money Smart - Select one of the 14 games to learn about everyday financial topics.

• Glossary of Stock Market and Financial Investing Terms - Whether you’re a seasoned investor navigating the complexities of the market or a curious beginner just starting to learn about investing, it’s crucial to understand some basic vocabulary.

Financial Literacy for Teachers

• We Are Teachers - Ideas and inspirations for reaching the next generation.

• My Money - Government website for money management.

• Education Cents - Focuses on saving and paying for college.

• Balance Track - Money management information and tools.

• Balance - Finance Fitness Program offers information on how to manage income, handle a budget and achieve financial goals.

• You Need A Budget - Free online classes and tools to help you set a budget an stick to it.

• Mint - A financial tool that pulls all your financial information into one place to help you save, invest, and budget wisely.

Financial Literacy for Students

• 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy - Personal finance through every stage of life.

• National Financial Educators Council

• Money Counts - NPR programs on financing for young adults.

• College Money Matters - A site that helps you make good financial decisions about college.

• Understanding FAFSA - Ready to fill out your FAFSA and get money for college?