Educators | Money Minded Illinois
Financial Literacy Symposium
The Illinois State Treasurer’s Office, in partnership with the Illinois State Board of Education and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, hosted a full-day professional development event on July 9, 2026. The event supported middle and high school teachers in delivering high-quality financial literacy instruction. Event materials and general resources for financial literacy can be found below.
Free Financial Literacy Training for Illinois Educators
The Illinois State Treasurer’s Office offers free professional development to help teachers and school districts confidently teach financial literacy standards in the classroom.
Sessions are customized to fit your needs and schedule, from a single class period to a half-day institute. Longer trainings may also provide opportunities for educators to earn CPDUs.
Each session includes practical classroom strategies, sample lesson plans, and guidance on using inquiry-based learning to make financial literacy instruction more meaningful and engaging.
Teachers who complete the training often say they leave feeling more confident, more prepared, and ready to put financial literacy lessons into practice right away.
Contact the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office at mowen@illinoistreasurer.gov to schedule a training session.
Personal Finance Education Standards
Illinois places an emphasis on financial literacy and inquiry-based learning. Money Minded Illinois supports those goals by giving students practical money management skills and helping them think critically about real-world decisions they will face in college, careers, and everyday life.
You can read the standards at the links below.
- 1st Grade Standards
- 2nd Grade Standards
- 3rd Grade Standards
- 4th Grade Standards
- 5th Grade Standards
- All grade levels (K-12)
Help students build the decision-making skills they need for college, careers, and everyday life.
Contact us to learn more about resources, classroom support, and how to get started.
Additional Teacher Resources