The National Endowment for Financial Education® (NEFE®) offers the award-winning High School Financial Planning Program® (HSFPP), a free and flexible curriculum that has been proven to change students’ knowledge, actions and self-confidence about managing their money.
Money & Me is a hands-on experience that teaches teenagers the basics of money and how to make it work for them. The program covers budgeting, credit advantages and pitfalls, savings and checking accounts, how to save for a big purchase and investing for the future.
The brass|Student Program provides high schools with access to brass|Magazine, a personal finance publication written by young adults that delivers relevant content for classroom discussions and activities. The program also includes online resource centers for teachers and students, and the Credit Unions for College scholarship database.

LifeSmarts…the Ultimate Consumer Challenge is a game show style competition for teenagers designed to better prepare them as responsible consumers in today’s dynamic marketplace. Questions cover personal finance, consumer rights and responsibilities, health and safety, technology and the environment.

Biz Kid$ is a fun, 30-minute PBS television series for kids about making and managing money. It highlights young entrepreneurs who have turned hobbies into successful businesses, raised funds for good causes and much more.

The Kid’s Cash Kit & Caboodle includes practical, hands-on tools to teach children and their families the basics of money management using the concepts of saving, spending and sharing.

Who Are You? Identity Thieves Really Want to Know! is an educational program that utilizes marketing materials, train-the-trainer workshops and instructive sessions to help credit unions and community organizations inform their members about the dangers of identity theft.

Financial Literacy Statistics

Financial Education

NEFE HSFPP



Teaching 101: A Brief Guide for Classroom Guest Speakers

Thank you for your interest in being a speaker at your local school. This is a tremendous opportunity to convey important financial literacy concepts to young people, and at the same time promote the credit union movement. Relax, follow the tips below, and you will do fine.

Some common topics for classroom presentations include: insurance, savings and investing, checking accounts, use of credit, using debit/credit cards wisely, automobile loans, id theft, and financial careers.

Preliminary Items to Address

  • Work with the classroom teacher and decide upon a topic (based upon your area of expertise, the grade level, etc.)

  • Clarify the number of classes you will present to, and the timeframe for each

  • Verify the number of students in each class (important when bringing handouts)

  • Ask the teacher to have student name cards/tents visible on each student’s desk (helpful when asking or responding to questions)

  • Verify the school address, driving directions, and any special parking requirements

  • Clarify how to enter the school and where you should first report (e.g., main office, directly to the classroom)

  • Be sure to have a photo id with you (some schools have a security desk upon entry and require identification)

  • Ask the teacher about any special school and/or classroom procedures you should be familiar with

  • Specify that the teacher be present during your presentation(s) (it is usually a school policy that a certified teacher be in the classroom at all times)

  • Determine if the teacher is using the NEFE® HSFPP materials (if not, bring copies with you and leave with the teacher to review)

Planning and Delivering Your Presentation

  • Develop your lesson objectives and the financial concepts/content that you want the students to learn

  • Develop the teaching methods/procedures and activities you will use

  • Suggestion: Register and/or login to the National Youth Involvement Board (NYIB) website at www.nyib.org

    • NYIB is an organization operated by and for credit unions and the website contains additional teaching tips and also houses a database of financial literacy presentations made by credit union staff from across the nation

    • You may be lucky and find a presentation you can modify and use as a basis for your upcoming presentation

  • Important educational principles and practices to keep in mind include

    • Be prepared – know what you are talking about, and have sufficient content/activities for the full class period

    • Don’t talk at the students; engage them—use less lecture and more discussion, interaction, and real life hands-on activities

    • Vary activities frequently — students have very short attention spans

    • Remember the education premise —I hear - I forget, I see - I remember, I do - I understand

  • Don’t use a boring opening — open with pizzazz (say or do something immediately to get the students’ attention)

    • Example of a boring opening — Hi my name is Bill Board, and I’m from XYZ Federal Credit Union

    • Example of a good opening — Who wants to become a millionaire?

  • Vary your speaking volume and tone throughout your presentation

  • Don’t be a statue — use hand gestures and move about the room

  • Show respect to all students, and provide positive feedback

  • Make students feel important — let them know you really care about them and are willing to help them and their family members with any financial concerns/questions they may have now or at another time

  • Finally, sum up your presentation by briefly recapping the three or four major principles of your lesson

After Your Presentation

  • Take a deep breath and congratulate yourself on a job well done

  • Send a letter to the teacher and students thanking them for the opportunity to visit the class and share financial literacy concepts with them

  • Follow-up on any questions you may not have had an immediate answer for, or other issues you told the students and/or teacher you would get back to then about

  • Log into the NYIB website and report your presentation

In summary, you have the opportunity to make an important difference in the financial lives of young people in your community. Utilize the above tips and you have nothing to fear about your upcoming presentation. Be yourself, be sincere and genuine, show the kids you care, and you will do fine. Teachers are professionals and great to work with. They typically will prepare the class in advance of your visit, and typically have the students develop intelligent questions about the topic beforehand to ask during class.

So as they say in show business—break a leg!       

 

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