Web's Best Tools & Treats for FinLit Month
To celebrate financial literacy month, Biz Kid$ is sharing a free episode titled How To Turn $100 Into $1 Million – we love the stories of the young entrepreneurs in this episode…..meet Mo’s Bows, Zollipops, Youtube star Tiffany Ma, a superinvestor from Redlands College, and Seymour the Savvy Saver.
We’re also sharing the love by shining a spotlight on the best of the best….the cream of the crop….the top of the top….AKA our friends in the financial empowerment space who’re also helping kids make smart money moves.
FOR STUDENTS:
Slyngshot - this web-based app is a fun way to quickly come up with an idea for a business, generate a plan, then share it with friends and family. Forget about taking weeks to craft the perfect business plan - Slyngshot helps kids do it in the time it takes for recess. Just register for an access code, go through the app, and boom - in 20 minutes you got a business! We love the easy prompts, graphic interface, and drag-and-drop features. Thank you Singleton Foundation for bringing Slyngshot to life!
Stockpile - we love this really cool investment app for beginners. Stockpile offers gift cards that can be used to buy stocks, ETFs, and even fractional shares (cuz one share of AMZN is a little more than lunch money!). Why does this matter? It’s an easy entry, low-cost way for kids to get excited about investing (with parents’ approval) – because we all know that to turn $100 into $1 million at some point kids will need to move money from a basic savings account into investments that earn more interest in the stock market.
Greenlight - there are lots of smart debit cards on the market these days and Greenlight is one of the best. It gives kids the freedom to decide how they want to spend, share, invest and even donate….all with parent approval and oversight. Parents load money into a ‘Parent Wallet’ on the app and then distribute accordingly. This smart debit card teaches smart spending, how to build healthy financial habits, offers games and education, and as a bonus includes a location sharing feature. What’s not to love?
FOR TEACHERS:
Next Gen Personal Finance - many teachers love NGPF, a non-profit that offers free fin lit curriculum, professional development, and certifications. It saves teachers time from having to create lessons from scratch, helps augment their skillsets with free webinars, and arms them with games and projects for students…..bringing the hero vibe into the classroom on a daily basis. Teaching is hard, but NGPF helps make teaching money easy.
Financial Literacy For Kids - this is another awesome non-profit that’s impacting students in a big way. Financial Literacy For Kids has had amazing success coaching 4th and 5th grade students to play the SIFMA Stock Market Game at Title 1 schools in Oakland, CA. Their students have taken 1st place four years in a row, even competing against high school classes! They also recently launched Tiger Tank – a kids business pitch competition. Their secret sauce is bringing money lessons to life with hands-on activities that keep students engaged.
There! You have everything you need to kickstart a young person’s financial future. If there’s a fin lit tool you love using and want us to showcase in an upcoming newsletter email us: info [at symbol] bizkids.com
