Country of Residence
United States
Age
16
Project title
Change Makers: The Art of Money
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
Change Makers: The Art of Money, is a financial literacy project created to teach elementary school students essential money habits through creative art activities and interactive workshops.
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
Project Category
My project is an existing project that I started
Project Stage
Growth (We’ve moved past the very first activities and are beginning to have consistent weekly or monthly impact)
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
My aha moment happened when I was newly starting a research paper about how people build habits at young ages, and after that it's very hard to change those habits. I was sitting in the kitchen with my mother, who is an elementary school teacher, and she was complaining about how her school doesn't have the budget to offer additional education. As someone who's already interested in finance, I started wondering if the students at her school were getting financial literacy education. Once I realized the students didn't have access to that type of education I wanted to find a way to offer that to all schools. With this idea, I started Change Makers: The Art of Money.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
The problem I am helping to solve is that many elementary school students don't have access to financial literacy education. They usually don't have the budget to hire extra teachers or have the resources to teach extra classes. Most public elementary schools in New Jersey see financial literacy as an unnecessary class, which is why they don't try to include it in their curriculum. It matters to me because I researched and learned that people build habits at a young age. The article, Financial Literacy for Kids, Too? Definitely, Here’s Why on Everfi says, "In 2021, an Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Money Masters found that only 64% of American adults are financially literate." Financial literacy is important and only 64% of adults being financially literate is a big problem. I noticed that a lot of people around me also had unhealthy money habits, and realized the lack of financial education is the reason why.
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
I am solving this problem by offering free workshops to elementary schools. I provide the materials and curriculum for this class. I also know that young students tend to have very short attention spans and someone teaching something 'boring', like money, can be very uninteresting. To fix this problem, I make sure to keep the workshops extremely interactive, and end every session with a simple art activity which helps the students remember the lesson.
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
So far, I've taught 100+ students in the United States and 20+ students in Germany. After every session I send a feedback form to teachers which they share with their students, and I've always gotten positive reviews. Students say that the art activity at the end adds a fun twist to the workshop, and helps them actually retain information from the sessions. Since my project is still at an early stage I hope to make an even bigger impact. I've taught these concepts in two languages, neither of them being my native language. I see that students do remember these basic concepts, and I hope that I have helped them build the foundation of healthy spending habits. I strive that I can make enough impact so that people all around the world will be able to impact basic financial literacy education.
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
My solution is different because rather than creating a petition for elementary schools to provide financial education, I bring free interactive workshops directly to the schools. I combine topics that young students seem to find boring, with an art activity called "Create Your Dream Dollar" to make lessons interactive and fun for students. I create my own lessons, and offer them to schools, non-profits, and places like STEM centers where students go to learn about STEM. By doing this, I make sure that financial education is accessible to students who might have never had the opportunity to learn it otherwise.
How many people are on your team?
1
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
I am the only person involved right now, but I hope to grow my team soon. I plan workshops, plan dates and times that sessions will be given, create the curriculum, prepare slideshows and learning materials, and provide everything myself. In the future, I'd love to have other people interested in finance and helping others on my team to help make the biggest impact we can.
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
Over the next year, I plan to grow my team. I want to continue giving workshops to local schools, but I also want to be able to make an impact internationally. I've already started to give sessions in Germany. I give online sessions during the year, and I attended summer camps in person which I plan to continue doing. I hope to also start offering sessions in other countries in Europe.
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
Although I independently run this project, I have engaged with many people through workshops and online information sessions. I have taught over 150 students in the U.S. and Germany. Many people show interest by supporting my project financially through donations, reaching out to learn more about what I offer, and asking to see my curriculum. Everyone I've met through this project has helped me spread awareness of this gap in education, and I hope to involve more schools, non-profits, and partners in the future.
