Subject Area Entrepreneurship · Financial Literacy · Employability Skills

Grade Level Ages 8–12 · Grades 3–6 · Pre-CTE

Framework Referenced Iowa Core 21st Century Skills · Iowa CTE Business, Finance, Marketing & Management

About This Alignment

Iowa takes a distinctive approach to career and financial education. In 2007, the Iowa legislature established the Iowa Core 21st Century Skills framework, which makes Financial Literacy and Employability Skills universal, K–12 expectations for every Iowa student — not just high school electives. Financial literacy standards are cross-posted with the Iowa Social Studies standards and build grade by grade.

Because these strands apply across all grades, Boss Kid Build doesn't only prepare Iowa learners for future standards — it directly develops the financial-literacy and employability skills the Iowa Core expects during the elementary and middle grades. At the secondary level, Boss Kid Build then serves as the on-ramp to Iowa's Business, Finance, Marketing & Management CTE service area, whose program standards (approved 2023) span entrepreneurship, marketing, personal finance, and management.

Kit-by-Kit Alignment

Citations reference the Iowa Core 21st Century Skills strands (Financial Literacy standards are cross-posted with Social Studies and cited by their SS codes) and Iowa's Business, Finance, Marketing & Management CTE program standards.

Kit & Stage	What Students Do	Iowa Foundations Built
Kit 1 · Find Your Big Idea DISCOVER	Spot personal strengths, map passions, find problems worth solving, and choose one Big Idea.	Employability Skills — think innovatively and solve problems · Foundations for evaluating entrepreneurship as a career choice (builds toward SS-FL.9-12.14) · CTE: idea generation for business success
Kit 2 · Know Your Customer DISCOVER	Identify a target customer, practice listening and empathy, and match the idea to real needs and wants.	Financial Literacy — understanding needs vs. wants in financial decisions (builds toward SS.6.24) · Employability Skills — communicate effectively · CTE: foster positive relationships with customers
Kit 3 · Build Your Brand BUILD	Create a business name, look, and message that communicates value to customers.	Employability Skills — communicate effectively, work creatively · CTE: position the business to acquire a desired image; manage communications to protect the brand
Kit 4 · Make Your Product or Service BUILD	Plan, prototype, and refine a real product or service, including materials and quality checks.	Employability Skills — plan and manage a project to completion · CTE: generate product ideas to contribute to ongoing business success; position products/services for the desired image
Kit 5 · Set Your Price LAUNCH	Calculate costs, understand profit, compare prices, and set a fair price with confidence.	Financial Literacy — income, planned saving & expenses in a spending plan (builds toward SS.8.26); calculating real costs · CTE: develop foundational knowledge of pricing and employ pricing strategies
Kit 6 · Spread the Word LAUNCH	Build a simple marketing plan, craft persuasive messages, and choose where to reach customers.	Financial Literacy — how marketing and advertising influence spending decisions, from the maker's side (builds toward SS.7.29) · CTE: develop marketing strategies to guide marketing tactics
Kit 7 · Make Your First Sale LAUNCH	Practice the pitch, handle money, serve customers, and complete a real first sale.	Financial Literacy — handling income and money management basics · Employability Skills — communicate effectively, act with initiative & responsibility · CTE: verbal skills to convey information; customer relationships that enhance sales
Kit 8 · Lead & Level Up GROW	Reflect, set growth goals, practice leadership and teamwork, and plan what comes next for the business.	Employability Skills — work productively in teams, demonstrate leadership · Financial Literacy — evaluating entrepreneurship and its effect on standard of living (builds toward SS-FL.9-12.14) · CTE: planning tools that guide the organization's activities

Woven Through Every Kit

Iowa Core Foundation	How Boss Kid Build Reinforces It
Employability Skills — productivity, accountability & work ethic	Every kit runs like a real job: sequenced tasks, signed commitments, and a Certificate of Achievement earned by finishing the work.
Financial Literacy — money management as empowerment	Students don't study money in the abstract — they earn it, count it, price with it, and decide what to do with it inside their own venture.
Employability Skills — critical thinking & innovation	Gold numbered prompts and Top 3 summary pages push students to weigh options, choose, and explain their reasoning in every kit.

Who This Alignment Serves

The Iowa Core 21st Century Skills (including Financial Literacy and Employability Skills) and the Business, Finance, Marketing & Management CTE program standards are published by the Iowa Department of Education. Boss Kid Build is an independent curriculum publisher and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Iowa Department of Education. Alignment statements describe foundational, age-appropriate development of and preparation for the cited standards.

Questions about licensing for schools or programs? Contact hello@bosskidbuild.com.