Military Youth Saves Week 2012 Resources and Ideas

1. Military Youth Saves Week 2012 Resources and Ideas
The following resources are provided to assist programs in carrying out the Military Youth Saves Week
initiative:
SUGGESTED RESOURCE MATERIALS – SCHOOL AGE CARE
4-H Reading Makes Sense – A youth guide including 53 experiential activities developed around
money including saving, spending, sharing, earning, borrowing, and lending. The literature,
concepts about money, and activities were selected to appeal to youth ages 8-12 years-old. It
can be found for FREE download at: http://www.4-h.org/resource-library/curriculum/.
4-H Financial Champions – This 4-H curriculum provides information on goal setting and
encourages interaction with the community. Financial curriculum can be purchased at:
www.4-hmall.org/curriculum. Activity guides include:
o Money Fundamentals – A Youth Guide for Learning About Money. This activity book will
help youth learn to make sound decisions related to spending and saving money.
o Money Moves – A Youth Guide for Saving, Spending, and other Money Skills. This
activity book will help youth learn about financial institutions, the pros and cons of
credit and how to select financial services.
o Personal Finance – Helper’s Guide. The Helper’s Guide is a comprehensive book of fun
activities that will assist the facilitator in expanding the learning of financial
responsibility.
SUGGESTED RESOURCE MATERIALS – YOUTH PROGRAM
4-H Money Talks: Financial Tools for Teens – is a bilingual (English/Spanish) money
management curriculum aimed at teens 14-18 years-old and adults who work with them. The
materials, developed by a team of University of California Cooperative Extension advisors,
specialist, and staff, provide teens accurate, non-biased information and hands-on experiences
in financial management. It can be found at: http://www.moneytalks.ucr.edu/.
BGCA Money Matters – This program was created by the Boys and Girls Clubs of America to
promote financial literacy among teens by building basic money management skills. Through
fun, interactive activities and exercises on topics like using a checking account, learning how to
budget, managing debt, and saving for college, teens ages 13-18 years-old learn practical ways
to save, spend, and invest their money. Program components include:
o Teen Personal Finance Guide includes practical tips and activities to help teens learn the
important skills of balancing a checkbook, creating a budget and investing for college
and retirement.
o Facilitator’s Guide contains basic financial concepts that CYP staff and volunteers can
use to help teens understand the benefits of effective money management.
o Money Matters Website is an interactive, engaging tool that teen program participants
can use to balance a checkbook, make budgeting and investment decisions and learn
about starting a business. The secure website, located at
http://moneymatters.bgca.net, also features a saving and financial aid calculator to help
teens plan for college.
Enclosure (3)

2. PROGRAMMING IDEAS
The following are examples of successful School-Age Care programming initiatives from past
Military Youth Saves:
o Design Your Own Piggy Bank Contest
o Creating a Youth Center Concession Stand
o Hosting a Financial Game Show Night (Jeopardy, Price Is Right, Life, etc.)
o Inviting CDC children to participate in SAC activities
o Holding a “Money Management Carnival”
The following are examples of successful Youth programming from past Military Youth Saves
initiatives:
o Starting an Investment Club
o Creating a Youth Center Mock Store
o Holding an installation-wide “Financial Fair”
o Hosting a series of workshops and seminars on the following:
 How to apply for college grants or scholarships
 Internet banking
 Budgeting
 Smart phone banking applications
 Credit ratings
 Financing automobiles
 Investments
 Retirement Plans
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