Teacher
Resources

Ready to dive in? Below is a list of ready-to-use themes and prompts to help you and your students connect CalKIDS to personal finance topics through meaningful, real-world financial literacy discussions:

Compound Growth

Introduce students to the idea of how money grows over time through compounding.

• Explain how CalKIDS or ScholarShare 529 funds can increase in value over time due to compound growth.
• Have students calculate simple future-values examples based on hypothetical contributions or balances. Use the tool here for practice.

Savings

Introduce the concept of savings by talking about ScholarShare 529, California’s official college savings plan.

• Ask students about the different ways families can save for college.
• Ask whether students have their own savings account and how they use them.
• Use the ScholarShare 529 Savings Plan Estimator to demonstrate how savings can grow.

Budgeting & Cost Planning

Guide students to estimate education or career training costs and develop real-life budgets.

• Have students create a simple budget that includes projected costs, their CalKIDS balance, and any other savings account balances into a realistic financial plan.
• Illustrate the importance of early financial decisions by comparing scenarios that include early savings versus no early savings and discuss long-term impact and opportunity cost.

Financial Identity & Account Management

Teach students what it means to have financial accounts and why financial identity matters.

• Account ownership: Help students understand the significance of having an account in their name and how to access and use them independently.
• Financial responsibility: Help students understand how to keep their information secure, avoid unnecessary fees, keep track of their money, and use accounts safely.
• Financial management: Help students understand how to monitor accounts and use online and digital banking tools like direct deposit and alerts.
• Help them claim their CalKIDS Account!

Investing Foundations

• Introduce investing by explaining how ScholarShare 529 plans work and how ScholarShare 529 and CalKIDS funds are invested. More information on how CalKIDS funds are invested can be found in the Program Information Guide.
• Use real or sample account data (balances, contributions) to teach basic investment concepts like risk, return, and time horizon.

Math & Real World Application

Connect math concepts with financial decision-making.

• Practice real-world math by calculating interest, projecting growth, and comparing various savings scenarios.
• Use online tools found here from the ScholarShare 529 website to apply math skills to real financial situations.

College, Career & Long Term Planning

Support students in connecting CalKIDS or ScholarShare 529 accounts to their long-term educational or career planning.

• Support long-term planning by having students identify future goals and map out how CalKIDS or a ScholarShare 529 account can contribute to their goals.
• Connect CalKIDS to college and career research by comparing program costs (community colleges, universities, technical programs, apprenticeships) and how CalKIDS can reduce those costs.
• Teach financial aid basics by showing how CalKIDS funds can be combined with FAFSA, grants, scholarships, or work study.

Family Engagement & Personal Goal Alignment

Encourage students to connect CalKIDS or ScholarShare 529 to personal goals and family conversations.

• Have students create a “My CalKIDS Plan” or “My ScholarShare 529” worksheet outlining their goals, how they intend to use their funds, and next steps.
• Support discussions about how CalKIDS or ScholarShare 529 can be used for future education or career goals, and explain allowable uses of funds.