Financial Literacy

ZFF identifies schools with a need/interest in a financial literacy program, works with them to find a "home" within the current curriculum (ideally across an entire grade level), recruits partnerships from local businesses to provide volunteers to teach the program to the students, and works closely with Junior Achievement to implement their  "JA Economics for Success" middle school program or "JA Personal Finance" high school program.  ZFF provides funding for the materials and training of volunteers as well as continued coordination efforts along with JA to keep the program running smoothly before, during and after implementation. 

JA Economics for Success is a six-session program which gives practical information about personal finance and the importance of identifying education and career goals based on a student's skills, interests, and values.  It addresses several topics:  choice and
self-knowledge, education and career options, budgeting, using credit, credit score, and financial risk.

JA Personal Finance is a five-session program which focuses on earning money, spending money wisely through budgeting, saving and investing money, using credit cautiously, and protecting one's personal finances.

JA Finance Park is another included program in the partnership which is a capstone program for personal financial planning and career exploration (Grades 7-9).  The teacher-led program culminates with an on-site or virtual simulation for the students to put into practice what they have learned by developing and committing to a personal budget.