For educators and parents
a new way to teach about financial literacyIntroduction
This 8-lesson online curriculum was designed to empower high school students to gather important information so they can make an informed decision about what they do after high school and minimize debt. It encourages them to seek postsecondary education or training and shows them how to do it wisely. For those students going straight to work after high school, most of the financial and borrowing literacy learning objectives are still applicable.
Delivery methods
- CLASSROOM PRESENTATIONS: A CENTS representative can teach lessons directly to your classroom either virtually (through Zoom, etc..) or in-person. There are a limited amount of in-person slots, but Zoom presentations are more available.
- Each lesson takes approximately 50-minutes.
- The curriculum can be delivered by a teacher in the classroom (or remotely).
The Educator/Parent Guide provides step-by-step guidance. - Or, students can advance through the curriculum on their own at home or in the classroom.
- To begin, teachers should register with CENTS to receive access information.
- Or, you can request a CENTS representative to guide your student through the course.
Program logistics
- Teacher registers with CENTS and receives access information.
- The teacher creates a class and invites the students.
- Students create a password, sign in, and advance through the lessons.
The program saves answers and automatically scores the exit tickets. - Teachers can overview class progress to see if anyone is falling behind.
- Teachers can also access individual student answers if a closer look is needed.
- The program notes the time the student spends on each lesson.
Curriculum Overview
Lesson 1: Introduction and Part 1 of original Debt Slapped Video. Learn how higher education can help you and identify if you have any “thinking traps”.
Lesson 2: Parts 2, 3, and 4 of original Debt Slapped Video. Learn the basics of borrowing money.
Lesson 3: Career, Income, Lifestyle. Explore a career you are interested in, learn key budgeting terms, and practice budgeting with your chosen career.
Lesson 4: Vital Research. Identify essential facts about how to select and evaluate a higher education program.
Lesson 5: Borrowing Fundamentals. Understand borrowing basics that apply to all loans.
Lesson 6: Interested in Interest. Discover the different types of interest and how they apply to loans.
Lesson 7: Borrowing Mindsets. Know the difference between debt and wealth and find out how a loan will impact your budget.
Lesson 8: Student Loan Specifics. Distinguish between private and federal student loans, identify ways to reduce your borrowing costs, and review the steps one should take before borrowing money.
To help educators and/or parents lead their students through the eight-lesson online curriculum, CENTS created a Educator/Parent Guide: