Tackling Financial Literacy

Financial Literacy Options in Middle & High School

Personal Finance, Financial Literacy, whatever you call it, it’s a popular choice for a high school class. For good reason - we all need to understand how to manage our money!

There are lots of books out there on this topic but finding a well-developed resource with videos, worksheets and educator information can be tricky. But good news! I have two (free!!) curriculum choices to recommend: Intuit for Education’s Financial Literacy program and The Stock Market Game from the SIFMA foundation.

The first program, Intuit’s Financial Literacy program, is geared towards high schoolers (maybe upper middle school depending on the student) and actually has two components: personal finance and entrepreneurial finance (which would be great for those business-minded kids out there!).

I explored the Personal Finance course which is a thorough and well-developed resource that begins with basic financial literacy terms, moves through topics such as banking, budgeting, investing, paying for college, and insurance (among others), and ends with a short section on economics. The course can be worked through 2 ways: 1) by the student independently; or 2) with the educator leading the discussion and directing the work. The course material consists of a series of videos, short readings, mini-quizzes and short answer reflective questions. These are either presented to the learner directly as they work independently or there are lesson plans to step the educator through the curriculum.

Of course, there’s the obvious - this program is run by Intuit, it’s a marketing tool for them. However, I did not see explicit marketing materials in the course itself other than the branding on the website. The only hiccup I had in reviewing the program was the sign-up process for homeschoolers. It’s a little wonky to sign-up for an educator account - I ended up sending an approval to myself in order to link my student accounts to my teacher account. It wasn’t a big deal and worked out fine but it’s always good to have a heads-up! Alternatively, students can just sign-up on their own as independent learners and shouldn’t have that problem.

I did not delve into the Entrepreneurial Finance program but at first glance it appears to be set-up similarly and includes topics such as financial strategies for small businesses, financial planning and analysis, financial management, and business valuation.

The second program is the SIFMA Foundation’s Stock Market game. This is an interactive, stock market simulation directed at middle and high school students. It runs multiple times a year and you can play either as an individual or a team, and either independently or compete against other schools and learners in your area and across the country. It’s easy to sign-up and SIFMA does a fantastic job of providing educator training materials (written, recorded, and live sessions) with the information needed to make the most of the program. There are also fantastic videos for students directly that explain investing concepts, how to research companies and choose stocks, and how to evaluate your portfolio as you go, along with worksheets and discussion guides to deepen the experience.

Hopefully these recommendations help if you’re looking for resources to tackle financial literacy and if you have any recommendations to add please get in touch!

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Learning Through Travel: Why Homeschool Families Will Love The Capitol Collection

By Melissa Robb • February 12, 2026

Some of the best learning my family has done didn’t happen sitting at the kitchen table. It happened walking through old buildings, asking questions, and seeing things with our own eyes. State capitol buildings are among our favorite stops, we learn so much about a state by visiting these unique and beautiful buildings. If your family likes to travel—or even just take day trips— The Capitol Collection is a wonderful way to turn those outings into something meaningful and memorable. It is a souvenir passbook ($15) that helps families keep track of visits to state capitol buildings. Each visit becomes more than just a stop along the way—it becomes part of your family’s story. Turning Trips Into Adventures Kids love having a purpose, and visiting capitols gives them one. Instead of just passing through a city, they’re exploring, noticing details, and looking forward to marking another visit in their book. Over time, those pages fill up with memories, and the learning happens naturally along the way. It doesn’t feel like “doing school”—it just feels like life. That’s one of the things I’ve always loved about homeschooling. Learning doesn’t have to be complicated to be meaningful. Our Family’s Story This means a lot to me because of our own experience. Our family has visited 22 state capitols so far. Our first recorded visit was Pierre, South Dakota in 2009 when my son was 10 years old , and at first it was just something fun to do while we traveled. I never imagined how much it would shape him. One of my favorite memories is a tradition he started. Whenever a capitol had a rotunda, he would lie down on the floor and just look up at the dome. He would study the paintings, the shapes, the light—just taking it all in and thinking what that epic element represented. Those quiet moments often turned into some of our best conversations later. At the Oregon state house we were even able to go up INTO the dome, what a climb! Over the years, those visits led to many talks about history, government, and how laws are made. The experience stayed with him so strongly that he even wrote about it in his law school application essay . Visiting state capitols has expanded to exploring government building internationally such as the Reichstag in Germany and Canada’s Parliament in Ottawa. As a parent, it’s an amazing thing to see something that started as a simple family outing become part of your child’s future. Most recently, we visited Maryland’s capitol during a trip to Annapolis. My son is a young man now and living on his own, but when we travel together, this is still something we do. That’s what makes experiences like this so special—they grow with your children. Why Capitol Buildings Are Such Powerful Learning Spaces State capitol buildings offer a unique blend of subjects all in one place: Civics and government come to life when children see legislative chambers and learn how decisions are made. Local history becomes tangible through exhibits, memorials, and stories tied to each state. Art and architecture surround you, often reflecting the values and culture of the region. Critical thinking and curiosity grow naturally as kids ask questions and make connections. Best of all, these lessons don’t feel forced. They happen through exploration and conversation—often led by the child’s own interests. A Journey Worth Remembering Looking back, I’m so thankful we took the time to stop, explore, and learn together. Those capitol visits weren’t just educational—they were time spent together, sharing discoveries and building memories we still talk about years later. Whether your family visits one capitol or dreams of all fifty, the important part isn’t the number. It’s the time spent learning side by side. (There is a Facebook group for this hobby. It’s small but would be a great way for families to share their experiences!)