School financial literacy programs
Short practical money lessons students can use before adult pressure arrives.
LHALEP brings 30-minute and 60-minute plain-language sessions into schools for grades 5-8 and high school. The programs connect money choices to life, health, legal-readiness, and trusted-resource questions without selling products or collecting personal student data.
Life Health and Legal Education Partners is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN: 82-5184232. Donations support plain-language education and transition resources for students, workers, and families.
Grades 5-8
Money Choices That Make Sense
Needs, wants, tradeoffs, and a one-week money plan
Students learn to
- Separate needs, wants, and goals using plain language.
- Explain that every money choice has a tradeoff.
- Build a simple one-week spending plan from a realistic student scenario.
- Name one trusted adult or school resource to ask before making a confusing money choice.
30-minute session
- 0-3 min Opening question: What is one thing money helps a family handle?
- 3-8 min Needs, wants, and goals mini-lesson with school-safe examples.
- 8-18 min Small-group card sort: classify choices and name the tradeoff.
- 18-25 min One-week plan worksheet: choose, adjust, and explain the decision.
- 25-30 min Exit ticket: one money choice I can slow down and think through.
60-minute workshop
- 0-5 min Opening question and quick definitions.
- 5-15 min Needs, wants, goals, and surprise expenses.
- 15-30 min Card sort and tradeoff discussion.
- 30-45 min One-week plan challenge with a changed circumstance.
- 45-55 min Pair share: explain the plan without blaming or shaming.
- 55-60 min Exit ticket and take-home conversation prompt.
High School
First Paycheck, First Budget, First Protection Plan
Income, deductions, banking, insurance words, and next-step planning
Students learn to
- Read a basic paycheck scenario and identify gross pay, deductions, and take-home pay.
- Build a starter budget that includes needs, goals, giving/saving, and flexible spending.
- Understand why health coverage, life insurance, auto insurance, and legal documents are adult-protection topics.
- Practice asking better questions before signing, buying, borrowing, or sharing personal information.
30-minute session
- 0-4 min Opening: Why a paycheck is not the same as spendable money.
- 4-10 min Gross pay, deductions, and take-home pay in plain English.
- 10-20 min Paycheck-to-plan worksheet using a realistic first-job scenario.
- 20-26 min Protection words: coverage, deductible, beneficiary, contract, deadline.
- 26-30 min Exit ticket: one question to ask before a big money decision.
60-minute workshop
- 0-5 min Opening and paycheck vocabulary.
- 5-18 min Paycheck scenario: gross, deductions, take-home, and pay frequency.
- 18-35 min Build a 50/30/20-style starter plan adapted to the student’s real priorities.
- 35-48 min Adult-protection map: health coverage, insurance, legal papers, scams, and trusted resources.
- 48-56 min Decision checkpoint practice: car, phone, bank account, job offer, or apartment application.
- 56-60 min Exit ticket and optional resource link.
Donors can underwrite a classroom-ready program.
Funding supports handouts, facilitator prep, short school visits, longer workshops, and multi-session cohorts where permitted by the school or partner organization.
Grades 5-8 handout
High school handout
Sponsor one-pager