The Financial Fitness for Life contest is sponsored by the North Carolina Financial Literacy Council, in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and other state and organizational sponsors.
Financial fitness means developing the knowledge and habits to make smart financial decisions throughout your life. Just as exercise helps keep your body healthy, practicing good money habits helps build a strong financial future.
The contest is open to all students in grades K-12 enrolled in public, charter, private or home schools within the state of North Carolina.
Only one submission per student will be accepted. If your school uses Google as its email platform, you will be able to use your school email address. Otherwise, you will need to use a Gmail account to log in and access the submission form. Entries may also be submitted via regional coordinators. Parental permission is required for media release. View the Disclaimer and Official Rules. Click here if you need to create a Gmail account.
| Timeline | |
|---|---|
| Contest Launch | August 14, 2026 |
| Submission Deadline | February 26, 2027 |
| Statewide Judging | TBD |
| Statewide Winners Announced | Friday, April 2, 2027 |
Theme and Prompts
Financial Fitness for Life
Categories:
- Essay (max 500 words for grades K-5 / max 750 words for grades 6-12)
- Visual Art (drawing, painting or digital illustration)
- Video - solo or group of up to three students (30 to 90 seconds)
- Infographic/Poster (hand-drawn or digital)
- Creative writing (poem, short story or rap lyrics)
Prompts:
- Train Your Money Muscles: What does it mean to be financially fit? Describe or illustrate the money habits that help people become financially strong. Include examples of saving, spending wisely, budgeting, or setting goals.
- My Financial Fitness Plan: If you created a financial fitness routine like an exercise plan, what would it include? Explain the daily, weekly, or monthly habits that help someone build a healthy financial future.
- Strong Choices, Strong Future: Every financial decision has consequences. Share a story—real or imaginary—about someone who made smart financial choices and how those choices helped them achieve an important goal.
- Financial Heroes: Who inspires you to make smart financial decisions? It could be a family member, teacher, community leader, entrepreneur, or even a fictional character. Explain what you learned from them and how their example promotes financial fitness.
- Dollars in a Digital World: Technology has changed how we earn, spend, save, and invest money. How can young people stay financially fit while using digital payments, online shopping, banking apps, or artificial intelligence? Describe ways to make safe and responsible financial decisions.
- From Dream to Reality: Everyone has dreams for the future. Choose a personal dream—such as attending college, starting a business, buying a home, traveling, or helping others—and explain how financial fitness can help make that dream possible.
- Financial Fitness Starts With Me: What are three money habits you can begin practicing today that will help you become financially successful tomorrow? Explain why these habits matter and how they can positively impact your future.
Judging Criteria will be adjusted appropriately for category and age group and include:
- creativity and originality
- relevance to the theme
- clarity of message
- technical quality
- practical financial insight
Awards & Recognition
- Invitation to a statewide awards ceremony during the Financial Literacy Council’s April meeting (virtual platform).
- Each grade-level bracket will have a Grand Prize Winner ($250), 1st ($100), 2nd ($50), and 3rd ($25) prizes.
- Winning entries will be featured on the council website and social media.
This page was last modified on 08/14/2026