Empowering Kids with Real-World Money Skills

Smarty Cents Academy is a nonprofit-in-formation offering experiential financial literacy and entrepreneurship programs for elementary students. We design free, play-based workshops that help kids build confidence, collaboration skills, and economic understanding — all while having fun.

Explore the world of Centropolis, where money concepts come to life

Students become citizens of Centropolis and take on unique roles such as Builder, Trader, Creator/Crafter, Explorer, or Investor. Each week, players unlock and explore new districts of Centropolis such as Market Square, the Innovation District, Financial Row, Town Hall, and Centropolis Commons, as they learn core financial and entrepreneurial concepts.

Citizens earn coins and XP (experience points), and encounter economic events like grants, tax changes, or surprise investor visits. They’ll run businesses, save money, collaborate, and pitch ideas in a game-driven storyline where their choices shape the town.

Our Kid-Friendly Financial Literacy Program

Designed by educators, game designers, and financial experts, our RPG-based curriculum makes money concepts accessible and engaging for elementary school students, while teaching foundational skills.

Savings Basics

Fun activities that teach the importance of saving money and setting financial goals.

Public Speaking

Fun, collaborative group projects that encourage children to practice public speaking skills in front of their peers

Smart Spending

Interactive lessons on making wise spending choices and understanding needs vs. wants.

Math Integration

Interactive lessons on making wise spending choices and understanding needs vs. wants.

Money Stories

Engaging stories and characters that make financial concepts relatable and memorable.

Entrepreneurship

Introducing business concepts and fostering innovative thinking for young entrepreneurs.

FAQ

Get answers to the most common questions about our financial education program for kids.

  • Item descripIn June 2024, Governor Newsom signed a law making financial literacy a graduation requirement for all California high school students — recognizing that understanding money is as critical as reading or math. Smarty Cents Academy introduces these essential skills early, helping young elementary students build healthy habits around saving, spending, and investing through imaginative, game-based learning. By starting in elementary school, we ensure students are not only prepared for future coursework, but also equipped for real-life financial decisions.

  • The Smarty Cents Academy curriculum is designed for elementary aged children in grades K-5. Specific pilot programs may be offered for a more limited age range (ex: 2nd grade - 4th grade), so please check in with us to learn more about out pilot programs.

  • Our program offers flexible curriculum options with 8, 10, or 12-week courses, each with weekly 1-hour sessions. We customize the program length to accommodate different learning paces and schedules, including condensed summer programs and extended year-round options.

  • Our program is developed by certified educators financial experts and game designers, ensuring educational excellence, financial accuracy, and most importantly - fun! We use a proprietary role-playing game curriculum that brings financial and entrepreneurship concepts to life in a screen-free way that integrates creativity, storytelling, and collaboration.

  • Item descripAt Smarty Cents Academy, we use a role-playing game (RPG) approach because it creates a fun, immersive way for kids to learn real-world skills. Research shows that RPGs help students build social-emotional strengths like collaboration, decision-making, and empathy, while also reinforcing academics like math, logic, and public speaking — all in a way that feels like play, not work (Slaughter & Orth, 2024). By giving students ownership of their learning through storytelling and teamwork, we make financial literacy and entrepreneurship more engaging, memorable, and meaningful.tion

  • Our classes are conducted in small groups with a maximum of 15 students to ensure personalized attention. Sessions are interactive, engaging, and designed to make learning about money fun through games, activities, and real-world scenarios.

  • Absolutely! Parents receive bi-weekly updates on their child's progress, including concepts covered, activities completed, and suggestions for reinforcing financial lessons at home. We believe in a collaborative approach between educators and parents.

Get Involved

Support Our Mission

Smarty Cents Academy is growing — and we’re looking for partners who care about financial literacy, education equity, and creative learning.

Here’s how you can get involved:

  • Know a school that could benefit? Let’s talk.

  • Want to support our pilot? We welcome funders and volunteers.

  • Interested in mentoring or helping us grow? Reach out!