US-based Greenlight Financial Technology, which aims to help parents boost financial literacy with their children, has launched a new interactive financial literacy game.
Level Up is an interactive, curriculum-based game, which goes beyond the National Standards for K-12 Personal Financial Education, which was created by Jump$tart Coalition and Council for Economic Education. These standards were created as a guide for educators, curriculum writers, policymakers and other financial education stakeholders to improve money skills and confidence among young people.
According to a survey conducted by Greenlight, 93% of teens believe they need financial knowledge and skills to achieve their life goals, and 97% of parents agree. Despite this, only 23 states require a personal finance course for students, and teens score an average of 64% on the National Financial Literacy Test.
Level Up was built by academic and game design experts and aims to transform financial education through industry-leading curriculum, challenges, and rewards that keep kids and teens engaged.
Through the Greenlight app, kids can play the game and participate in lessons that cover earning, spending, saving, investing, managing credit, income, taxes, and more. It leverages multimedia content, with lessons using a combination of words, illustrations, and sounds for an inclusive learning experience aimed at multiple intelligences.
The gameplay has bit-sized challenges filled with videos, minigames, and a mix of multiple-choice, true or false, and scenario questions. Players are rewarded with coins (not real currency), XP and stars based on the percentage of correct answers and earn badges as they advance to the next level.
Along their journey, players will meet a wise wizard, a jetpack-toting goat, and even a pineapple sporting sunglasses.
Speaking on the game launch, Greenlight certified financial education instructor and director of education Jennifer Seitz said, “Greenlight’s mission has always been focused on empowering kids and teens to learn about money. Level Up advances our mission even further with an engaging, gamified curriculum that teaches financial literacy in a fun and relatable way.”
“Level Up is such an amazing game. It’s animated, colourful, and packed with super helpful financial lessons,” said Nikki M., parent of a 12-year-old daughter who participated in Level Up beta testing. “Starting at the very first level, it has important lessons that I wish I was taught when I was younger. This is such valuable knowledge that my daughter will have for life.”
Greenlight is a banking app that has helped over five million parents and kids learn about money together. Level Up is included in every subscription plan and will be made available for free for schools, teachers, and students through Greenlight for Classrooms.
The FinTech company reached a $2.3bn valuation in 2021, following the close of its Series D funding round on April.
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