AlphaCore High School Financial Foundations
Ages: 14–18
Level: Beginner → Early Intermediate
Outcome: Financial confidence, smart habits, and long-term thinking
Course Goals
- Understand how money actually works in real life
- Build smart saving and budgeting habits
- Understand investing without gambling or hype
- Learn diversification and long-term wealth building
- Avoid scams, risky trading, and misinformation
- Feel confident starting their financial journey early
Unit 1: Money Basics
Weeks 1–2
Lesson 1: What Is Money & Why It Matters
- What money really represents (value, time, effort)
- Why schools don’t teach money
- Wants vs needs
- Short-term vs long-term thinking
Activity: Track spending for 5 days
Lesson 2: Income, Saving & Smart Habits
- Ways teens earn money (jobs, allowances, side hustles)
- Paychecks explained
- Why saving first matters
- The 50/30/20 rule (simplified)
Activity: Create a simple weekly money plan
Unit 2: Banking & Real-World Money Skills
Weeks 3–4
Lesson 3: Banks, Accounts & Interest
- Checking vs savings accounts
- How banks make money
- What interest is (good vs bad)
- Online banks vs traditional banks
Activity: Compare 2 real savings accounts
Lesson 4: Compound Interest
- What compound interest is
- Why starting early beats starting big
- Time vs money examples
- Visual growth examples
Starting early matters more than how much you invest.
Activity: Compound interest calculator experiment
Unit 3: Introduction to Investing
Weeks 5–6
Lesson 5: What Is Investing?
- Saving vs investing
- Why investing exists
- Risk vs reward
- Long-term mindset
Investing ≠ gambling
Lesson 6: Stocks Explained Simply
- What a stock actually is
- Owning part of a company
- How companies grow
- Why prices go up and down
Activity: Analyze 1 real company
Unit 4: Diversification & Smart Investing
Weeks 7–8
Lesson 7: ETFs & Index Funds
- What ETFs are
- Why beginners shouldn’t pick individual stocks
- How ETFs reduce risk
- Real ETF examples (educational only)
Lesson 8: Diversification
- What diversification means
- Why diversification protects investors
- Stocks vs bonds explained simply
- What happens in market crashes
Activity: Build a mock diversified portfolio
Unit 5: Avoiding Mistakes & Scams
Weeks 9–10
Lesson 9: Why Trading Is Risky
- Day trading vs investing
- Emotional investing
- Why quick money fails
- Statistics on trading losses (simplified)
Lesson 10: Crypto, Hype & Scams
- What crypto actually is
- Why hype is dangerous
- Pump-and-dump schemes
- Influencers & misinformation
If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
Unit 6: Starting Early the Right Way
Weeks 11–12
Lesson 11: How Teens Can Start Investing Safely
- Custodial accounts explained
- Paper trading vs real investing
- Why education comes first
- Long-term mindset over excitement
Lesson 12: Goals, Habits & Future Planning
- Short-term vs long-term goals
- College, career, and money
- Building discipline early
- Why financial independence matters