Financial Champions is a two-level curriculum designed to help youth master the basics of managing personal finances. The activities in Money FUNdamentals (grades 7-9) include developing a money personality profile, discovering the difference between needs and wants, making money decisions, setting financial goals and developing a money plan. In Money Moves (grades 9-12), youth will learn to predict and analyze their finances by calculating interest, determining the cost of credit, managing a checking account, selecting financial services, and other activities. A helper's guide contains fully developed group activities.

Instructional Materials:

One group activity guide and two youth activity guides for grades 7-12 are available. More information is available at the following web site http://pa4h.cas.psu.edu/FinancialChampions/. The Allowance Game can be downloaded from the Iowa State University Extension web site at www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1776.pdf.

Illinois State Goals & Learning Standards:

1A: Apply word analysis and vocabulary skills to comprehend selections

1B: Apply reading strategies to improve understanding and fluency

1C: Comprehend a broad range of reading materials

3A: Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization and structure

3B: Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences

3C: Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes

4A: Listen effectively in formal and informal situations

4B: Speak effectively using language appropriate to the situation and audience

5A: Locate, organize, and use information from various sources to answer questions, solve problems and communicate ideas

5B: Analyze and evaluate information acquired from various sources

5C: Apply acquired information, concepts and ideas to communicate in a variety of formats

6B: Investigate, represent and solve problems using number facts, operations and their properties, algorithms and relationships

6C: Compute and estimate using mental mathematics, paper-and-pencil methods, calculators and computers

6D: Solve problems using comparison of quantities, ratios, proportions and percents

7A: Measure and compare quantities using appropriate units, instruments and methods

15B: Understand that scarcity necessitates choices by consumers