We’ve created the following financial education resources to support middle school students on their path toward lifelong financial wellness.
Claim Your Future®
Claim Your Future is an interactive program that encourages high school students to explore the return on investment of various career pathways and financial decision-making. It is available as a classroom game or online. FAME has developed a variety of resources to support Claim Your Future, including Educator Guides, informational videos, and much more.
Contact FAME to schedule a Claim Your Future session at your school conducted by FAME’s College Access and Financial Education Team.
Invest in ME Reads
Invest in ME Reads is a family financial wellness program created by FAME in partnership with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to help parents and caregivers teach and discuss goals, saving, and financial skills. As part of Invest in ME Reads, FAME provides free books, educational resources, activities, and tips to all Maine public school students in grades two through five to share at home with their families.
Fifth Grade Resources
Free Books and Resources
Each year, as a gift from FAME, all Maine fifth graders attending public school receive World’s Coolest Jobs, a book that encourages students to explore future careers. A Caregiver Guide helps to start a conversation with your child about their future and career possibilities. It also includes a fun career profile activity!
Educational Activities and Tips
Financial Skills
Developing habits like planning, saving, and setting goals, helps your child build financial wellness skills. By the end of elementary school, your child can:
- Understand that purchasing decisions have costs and benefits unique to each individual
- Make financial decisions that align with their goals and values
- Feel confident spending and saving, knowing various methods for both
Pro Tip: Ask your child to set a goal for something he or she would like to purchase, talk about the steps it would take to get it, check the progress, and monitor whether that goal is still important.
Free Lessons and Activities:
- Thinking Money for Kids – activities to support youth financial wellness.
- FDIC’s Money Smart for Young People – resources to help kids learn about money.
- BizKid$ – games and more!
Saving for Education
Did you know that children who have a college savings account are more likely to go to college, regardless of the amount saved?* Start small and encourage your child to dream big! By the end of elementary school, your child can:
- Understand that college costs vary widely, depending on the college and program
- Discuss degrees or training programs that align with their interests
- Understand how even a small amount saved adds up over time
Pro Tip: Bring your child with you to your local bank or credit union and open a savings account. Consider a “matching plan” for your child’s savings: you put in 25 cents for every dollar your child saves.
Free Lessons and Activities:
- Money Smart Kids – resources to help support a strong financial future.
- The Four-Bank System – and other activities through the US Mint, including a free Parent Guide.
Planning for Education
You play a powerful role in guiding your child toward a successful future. The earlier your child begins to explore education and careers, the more likely they will be to achieve their goals. By the end of elementary school, your child can:
- Understand that people have different job choices and incomes, depending on their knowledge, skills, education, and experience
- Discuss jobs/careers that align with their interests
- Understand basic college-related terms
Pro Tip: If you are attending college yourself, or know someone who is, visit the campus and talk with your child about college. Help them make a list of nearby colleges.
Free Lessons and Activities:
- Claim Your Future® – an online game designed to teach future careers, education, and money.
- StudentAid.gov – activities for kids and parents to make learning fun and think ahead toward college.
*Assets and Education Initiative, Building Expectations, Delivering Results: Asset-Based Financial Aid and the Future of Higher Education, in William Elliott (Ed.), Biannual report on the assets and education field, (Lawrence, KS: Assets and Education Initiative, 2013).
Resources for Adults
Discover our extensive free financial wellness resources designed to support you on your journey toward financial freedom.
Participate in the Invest in ME Reads Survey and Enter to Win a $100 Amazon Gift Card!
After you have explored the Invest in ME Reads resources, we invite you to take our brief survey so we can learn how this program has helped your family.
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