ALA and the FINRA Foundation invite public libraries to apply to receive a Thinking Money for Kids Program Kit, a collection of expertly vetted resources to help libraries offer financial education for children ages 3 to 12, both in the library and in children’s homes.
Donor Name: American Library Association
State: All States
County: All Counties
Territory: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Type of Grant: Program
Deadline: 09/08/2023
Details:
Thinking Money for Kids, an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, strives to teach children and their parents, caregivers and educators about financial topics — like saving, spending, sharing and budgeting — in a way that is both meaningful and fun.
The Thinking Money for Kids Program Kit contains everything a public library needs to host five different in-person programs that engage kids in financial education topics through age-appropriate play. The programs — designed by educational media specialists and vetted by children’s librarians and financial literacy experts — can be scaled to work in libraries of all sizes and can be led by library workers, volunteers, or teens of varying experience levels, including those with little or no prior experience hosting financial education programming. Following the initial programs, many of the activities can continue to be done by families visiting the library with little or no supervision by library staff.
To continue the learning when children leave the library, each Thinking Money for Kids Program Kit also contains a set of Playaway Launchpad tablets pre-loaded with digital content that aligns with the in-person program offerings. These kid-friendly devices are designed to circulate and do not require an internet connection.
Each selected library will receive the following:
- All materials needed to host five different in-person children’s programs — such as ready-to-use games, props and other physical materials — for children ages 3 to 12.
- A set of Playaway Launchpad tablets pre-loaded with digital content that aligns with the in-person program offerings.
- Program instructions, talking points, related book lists and other resources to assist library workers in planning and hosting the in-person programs.
- Template promotional materials and digital graphics to assist library workers with marketing the programs and Launchpad tablets to the public.
- Access to virtual training and a community of practice.
Approximately 200 public libraries will be selected to receive a Thinking Money for Kids Program Kit (estimated kit value: $2,000). Libraries will keep all kit contents after the grant period ends.
Eligibility Criteria
Public libraries (including tribal libraries and state libraries) located in the U.S. and U.S. territories are eligible. Individuals and federal entities are not eligible to apply.
Requirements for Participating Libraries
All public libraries selected to receive a Thinking Money for Kids Program Kit are required to:
- Attend one of two synchronous virtual training sessions in July/August 2024 (dates TBD).
- Host each of the five in-person children’s programs at least once, and preferably twice, during the programming period (September 2024 – December 2025). To ensure that all programming is strictly non-commercial, the programs may not be offered in conjunction with financial services firms, including banks, investment advisers and brokerage firms. All programs must be free to the public.
- Add Launchpad tablets to library circulation and collect circulation data (i.e. number of patron check-outs).
- Complete a concise final report form (estimated time to complete: less than 30 minutes).
For more information, visit ALA.
