Financial Champions, a new personal finance curriculum targeting 12
- 15 year olds, is now available for individuals, classes, or youth organizations
from the National
4-H Cooperative Curriculum System. According to Teenage Research Unlimited,
U.S. teens spent $172 billion in 2001, yet they know less now about money than
they did five years ago. A 2002 survey by Jump$tart,
a national non-profit coalition for financial literacy, shows that high school
seniors’ understanding of personal finance skills have dropped from 57.3%
in 1997 to 50.2% in 2002. Financial literacy has a failing grade for most of
today’s youth.
Financial Champions, a personal finance curriculum for middle school aged youth,
seeks to change those numbers through a series of two youth guides, a helper’s
guide, and a free interactive web-based game. Support for the development and
distribution of the curriculum was provided by 4HCCS. InCharge
Institute and Windemere Communications provided financial and technical
support for the Financial Champions curriculum and a companion interactive
web game.
The first youth guide, “Money Fun-damentals”, helps youth identify
their money personalities and has activities to explore communication and problem
solving, defining needs and wants, resolving disagreements about money, setting
goals and creating budgets.
Activities in the second youth manual, “Money Moves”, guide youth
through taking care of money and selecting financial services. Other activities
involve compounding simple interest and looking at the positive and negative
aspects of credit. Youth will also learn how to maintain a checking account,
the effects of advertising and other aspects of consumerism.
The “Helper’s Guide” contains activities that enhance the
youth guides, as well as ideas for group activities, presentations, demonstrations,
field trips, community service projects, exhibits, leadership opportunities,
and meeting icebreakers. These books can be purchased at the 4HCCS website,
individually or as a set for $11.75.
The Montana State University Extension Service has developed a super 4-H
Financial Champions Project website that contains training materials
(PowerPoint slides, worksheets, activities, promotion ideas) for this program.
For more information about Financial Champions in South Carolina, contact:
Dr. Nancy Porter
(864) 656-5718
nporter@clemson.edu
Financial Management / Consumer Education Programs
Family Resource Management Homepage
Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Homepage
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Homepage
Webmaster: Linda
McGee, Extension Family and Consumer Sciences, Clemson University
Last update:
October 14, 2005