Financial Literacy 101
Self-paced coursework with live monthly workshops. Offered to Discoverers, Voices and Torchbearers, with reading and project depth scaled to the band.
Course description
Financial Literacy 101 teaches students how money actually moves — earning, spending, saving, borrowing and investing — before they have to learn it the hard way. Lessons are short and self-paced so families can fit them around school, and each month closes with a live workshop where students bring their numbers and defend their decisions out loud. Every unit is grounded in the student's own household and community, not hypothetical millionaires.
What students will be able to do
- Build and defend a monthly plan for their own money.
- Explain interest, credit and risk in their own words.
- Read a bank statement and spot a bad deal.
- Connect personal money decisions to community wealth and history.
Units
Name where money comes from in your own household and community.
Explain the difference between a wage, a fee and a profit.
Build a simple needs / wants / goals plan for one month.
Set a savings goal with an amount, a deadline and a weekly plan.
Read a statement and describe what a checking and savings account each do.
Explain compound interest in plain language, both directions.
Describe ownership, risk and time horizon with real examples.
Identify three ways money can work without your hands on it.
Connect Black economic history to decisions families make today.
Recognize scams, fine print and pressure tactics.
Plan a contribution that strengthens someone besides yourself.
Present a personal money plan to a live audience.
Study five habits behind five very different careers, then design something you own and run it for 30 days.
Put the whole course to work in a final capstone workbook. Project One is live now; Project Two releases later this term.
Monthly rhythm
- Weeks 1 & 3: new unit released, self-paced lesson and practice.
- Weeks 2 & 4: assignment due by 11:59 pm on the posted day.
- Once a month: live workshop on Zoom, recorded for anyone who misses it.
See how this lands on a real month on the university calendar.
Progress & feedback
| Band | Points | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Exceeds | 4 | Accurate, specific, and connected to the student's own life. |
| Meets | 3 | Accurate and complete, with clear reasoning. |
| Approaching | 2 | Partly complete or reasoning is thin. |
| Beginning | 1 | Attempted; needs a rework with instructor support. |
Instructors leave written feedback on every submission. Students may revise once for a higher score.
Materials
A notebook, a device with camera and microphone, and the printable planning sheets provided in each unit. No textbook purchase required.