ALA, FINRA Foundation Select 300 Public Libraries Nationwide to Receive Children’s Financial Education Kits

CHICAGO – The American Library Association (ALA) and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation have announced 300 public libraries that will receive a Thinking Money for Kids Program Kit, a collection of expertly vetted programming resources to help libraries offer financial education for children ages 3 to 12, both in the library and in children’s homes.

Nearly 600 libraries applied for this competitive first-of-its-kind program kit, which includes materials for the libraries to host five in-person children’s programs as well as a set of digital games on tablet computers that can be checked out for home use. Kits will be sent to public and tribal libraries in all 50 states, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Thirty-five libraries will also receive Spanish-language versions of the kit. View the full list of selected sites.

Designed by educational media specialists and vetted by children’s librarians and financial literacy experts, the programs in the kit – both in-person and digital versions – can be scaled to work in libraries of all sizes and can be led by library workers, volunteers or teens of varying experience levels. The programs include fun and interactive financial literacy experiences that feature performance, financial simulations, collaborative game play, money math and more. Each kit includes a set of Playaway Launchpad tablets pre-loaded with digital content that aligns with the in-person programming.

Free digital games created as part of the Thinking Money for Kids Program Kit will also be available online for anyone to access. Interested library workers can go to ala.org/thinkingmoneykids for more information and resources, including additional financial education games and a free book list of inclusive titles to teach young people about money.

To be alerted about future offerings from ALA’s Public Programs Office, sign up to receive ALA's Programming Librarian e-newsletter.

About the American Library Association

The American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, the ALA has been the trusted voice for academic, public, school, government, and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit www.ala.org.

About FINRA and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation

FINRA is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to investor protection and market integrity. It regulates one critical part of the securities industry—brokerage firms doing business with the public in the U.S. FINRA, overseen by the SEC, writes rules, examines for and enforces compliance with FINRA rules and federal securities laws, registers broker-dealer personnel and offers them education and training, and informs the investing public. In addition, FINRA provides surveillance and other regulatory services for equities and options markets, as well as trade reporting and other industry utilities. FINRA also administers a dispute resolution forum for investors and brokerage firms and their registered employees. For more information, visit www.finra.org.

The FINRA Foundation supports innovative research and educational projects that give underserved Americans the knowledge, skills and tools to make sound financial decisions throughout their lives. For more information about FINRA Foundation initiatives, visit www.finrafoundation.org.