Now, more than ever, financial literacy education is becoming absolutely essential for today’s youth. Learning the basic concepts of money and financial management is increasingly on the agenda at K12 schools and we want to help. Our design team has created 10 financial literacy month posters to support teachers and financial educators with sharing knowledge on this important topic. There are 10 high quality designs in two layouts and two file formats. Download the posters and read on to learn some fun ways that you can share these with students.
Financial Literacy Month: The Backstory
The importance of financial literacy education for kids has been known for some time, but dedicating a full month to youth financial literacy only became a reality in 2004. Traditionally, financial literacy topics were not formally taught in schools. Yet understanding how to properly manage money and practice sound financial habits is considered by some experts to be a life skill.
In the United States, Financial Literacy Youth Month was first proclaimed by JumpStart Coalition in 2000, after it took over responsibility for Financial Literacy Day from The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE). The US Senate passed a resolution declaring April as National Financial Literacy Month in 2004. In Canada, Financial Literacy Month was first established in 2010 and is organized by the Financial Literacy Action Group.
The onset of the global pandemic in 2020 further reinforced the need for financial literacy education for kids, especially at the school level. Many people lost jobs and found themselves financially unprepared to handle that unforeseen circumstance. As this topic becomes more mainstream in classrooms, we hope that posters like these will become a useful resource for educators.
Download the entire collection of FREE Financial Literacy Month posters!
- 10 landscape-oriented posters
- 10 portrait-oriented posters
- available in both JPEG and high-resolution PDF formats
Creating Money Smart Kids: Financial Literacy Posters For Students
This poster set was designed with all levels of grades K through 12 in mind. The topics range from beginner-level concepts such as “What is Savings” and “Needs vs. Wants” to more advanced topics like “Using Credit Wisely” and “What is Investing”. The designs use bold colors in modern illustrations to attract students’ attention and keep them focused on the information. Also, each poster includes an additional tip that supports the key message and helps to bring the concept full-circle for the student.
What Is Savings?
Learning to save is foundational for managing money well and building wealth. This is a basic money concept that students at all levels can grasp. The familiar “piggy bank” imagery helps kids to make the association and quickly get the message of the poster.
What Are Needs. Vs. Wants?
Distinguishing between something you need and something you want is another essential concept in financial literacy that is relevant and any grade level. This poster sets up a great discussion point on this topic. Teachers can use it to build a conversation and get kids thinking about the concept. Furthermore, it can help to spark a simple game that kids can take home and use with their family in their real life.
What Is A Budget?
Budgeting is such an important component in financial literacy education. It can support healthy financial habits and is a great practice to establish when learning to manage money. Lessons about budgeting often start with having students identify their goals. Using the S.M.A.R.T goals framework (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, Time-based) can add some fun and relatability to the concept of budgeting.
Download the What Is A Budget Poster.
What Is Impulse Buying?
In our digital world, temptations to shop are difficult to avoid, and impulse buying has been made easy with the advent of digital wallets. This poster helps build awareness of this concept and provides a great conversation starter for teachers of K12 students.
Download the What Is Impulse Buying Poster.
What Is An Emergency Fund?
Teach students about the importance of having an emergency fund. The real-life example of the global pandemic provides a tangible way to explain how essential an emergency fund is. It also underscores the concept of saving and the need for budgeting. Being prepared for unexpected situations is part of sound financial management.
Download the entire collection of FREE Financial Literacy Month posters!
- 10 landscape-oriented posters
- 10 portrait-oriented posters
- available in both JPEG and high-resolution PDF formats
What Is Investing?
A simple equation helps to introduce this important topic that can often be confusing. Investing can take many forms, yet the visuals in this poster of “time” and “money” help to underscore that these are essential to any type of investing. The TIP encourages students to think about starting to invest as early as possible, to maximize their potential gains.
Download the What Is Investing Poster.
What is Compound Interest?
To create “Money Smart” kids, they need to be made aware of key terms in finance. This poster gives a simple explanation of this potentially complex topic and visually illustrates how money “grows” through compound interest. The TIP at the bottom of the poster provides a practical example and is a fun way to merge math concepts with financial literacy.
Download the What Is Compound Interest Poster.
What Is Fraud?
K12 students need to be aware of the potential problems that can occur when spending and managing money online. This poster lets teachers raise the topic of identity protection and teach strategies for keeping safe online.
Download the What Is Fraud Poster.
How Do I Use Credit Wisely?
The importance of using credit wisely is applicable, even with young kids. While young students may not have easy access to credit cards, many children are exposed to credit card purchases through online apps and digital wallets. Middle-school and high school students today will have much more awareness of credit cards. This poster helps to highlight the dangers of overspending and introduces the basic principle of spending only what you can afford to repay.
Why Do I Need Good Credit?
As older teens consider going off to college, understanding how to be responsible with credit becomes a focal point of financial literacy. Teach students both the benefits of good credit and the potential challenges of not having good credit.
Download the entire collection of FREE Financial Literacy Month posters!
- 10 eye-catching poster designs
- 2 orientations: landscape + portrait
- 2 formats: JPEG and high-resolution PDF
The free financial literacy poster set is available in both portrait and landscape orientations in JPEG and PDF file formats. This gives lots of options and flexibility for sharing this information with students, whether online through slide decks, on social media or in emails. These financial literacy printables are ideal for use in classrooms or hallways. Also, with Rise Vision, these posters can be accessed as free templates that can be shared on digital signage throughout your school. Start a free 14-day trial of Rise Vision here.
MORE FINANCIAL LITERACY RESOURCES FOR SCHOOLS
Looking for more financial literacy resources for your school?
We love helping schools and school districts who want to teach financial literacy education to their students. We've worked with the Montgomery Area School District, Marquette Catholic High School and many others, to create financial literacy labs to give their students a head start when it comes to financial education. When it comes to financial literacy for high school students, our digital signage software and financial ticker displays are key. If your school is serious about financial literacy education, contact us to learn more about how we can help you set up a financial literacy lab.
Check out some of our other articles on financial literacy for students:
- 75 Financial Words Your Students Should Know
- Creating A Cost Effective Financial Literacy Lab
- Bitcoin In Your Classroom?
- Teaching Stocks Through Edutainment
Want poster designs like these all year long? Learn more about how our digital signage software can keep your students engaged, up to date, and in the know.
