Money Moves Curriculum

Money Moves Curriculum
Real Life. Real Bills. Real Consequences.
A real-life financial simulation for teens and young adults

Money Moves is an 8-week, experiential financial education program that turns the classroom into a functioning mini-economy. Students earn income, pay bills, manage credit, run businesses, handle emergencies, and make real-world financial decisions using fake bills, role cards, scenario decks, and guided tools. The curriculum is designed to build not just financial literacy, but real financial instincts grounded in real-life application.

Students take on roles such as consumers, entrepreneurs, landlords, bankers, and utility providers. Each week follows a realistic cycle: receiving income, planning budgets, paying bills, navigating surprises, and tracking outcomes. The program uses worksheets, bill envelopes, credit score trackers, cash-flow calendars, and optional MoneyMate integration to help students practice budgeting, credit management, and cash-flow timing in real time.

Across eight modules, students learn to:

• Build and adjust a budget based on real-life timing

• Understand credit scores and use credit wisely

• Manage debt, interest, and repayment

• Choose housing and transportation based on affordability

• Launch and operate simple businesses or side hustles

• Navigate emergencies and unexpected expenses

• Track net worth, credit changes, and financial outcomes

• Build a personal financial blueprint they can apply after the course

Every session blends instruction with hands-on simulation. Students leave with a completed workbook, a record of their financial decisions, and a final financial plan that reflects their habits, trade-offs, and goals. The curriculum is flexible, can be delivered with print or digital materials, and is designed for high schools, CTE programs, GED courses, and nonprofit partners.

How Money Moves Connects to STEM & STEAM Programs

Money Moves already reinforces core STEM/STEAM competencies through the structure of the simulation itself:

• Applied Math: Students calculate income, deductions, net pay, loan terms, interest, budgets, and cash-flow timing.

• Systems Thinking: The classroom economy operates as a closed system where decisions affect outcomes across multiple roles.

• Technology Integration: Optional use of the MoneyMate app supports financial tracking, data input, and real-time projections.

• Entrepreneurship & Economic Modeling: Students build and test small business concepts, track revenue, manage expenses, and analyze profit/loss.

• Problem-Solving Under Constraints: Scenario cards and emergencies require students to adjust plans, prioritize needs, and evaluate trade-offs.

Because the program uses math, logic, modeling, and real-time decision-making, it aligns naturally with STEM/STEAM pathways--including financial literacy, economics, business technology, and career and technical education. This curriculum can be customized to support your program's unique STEM or STEAM objectives.