The Budgeting Challenge

Master Money. Shape Your Future. The Budgeting Challenge is a hands-on financial literacy course designed for students aged 12–15 to develop real-world money management skills through immersive, gamified learning. This isn’t a lecture. It’s a financial adventure. Students take on the role of a “Budget Avatar,” making weekly life choices around housing, jobs, subscriptions, shopping, emergencies, and savings goals. Each lesson throws new challenges—from surprise life events to investment dilemmas—requiring students to adapt, plan, and think like future adults. Program Objectives Teach students how to create and manage a personal budget Help them understand income, expenses, saving, and financial planning Build confidence in making informed money decisions Foster long-term thinking, reflection, and financial responsibility 🔑 Key Features 🎲 Dice-Based Roleplay: Students randomly roll to determine job, housing, and expenses—introducing variability and decision pressure. 📉 Real-World Trade-Offs: Students experience budgeting under constraints—just like real life. 🎮 Gamified Lessons: Includes shopping missions, savings races, survival weeks, and budget battles. 🔁 Dynamic Life Events: Surprise scenarios like broken phones, found money, or part-time gigs change each student’s path. 💬 Discussion-Based Learning: Weekly partner and class discussions promote reflection and social learning. 🎯 Final Challenge: Students build a 5-year financial plan based on everything they’ve learned. ' 🗓️ Course Format 12 Lessons (1 per week, ~45–60 minutes) Each session includes: Warm-up scenario or challenge Dice-based budget simulation Peer reflections and strategy discussion Written reflection or planning task Can be delivered in-school (e.g. PSHE, enrichment, life skills), as a standalone workshop series, or in after-school CCA format.