A message from the FDIC on youth leadership
February is National Youth Leadership Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the potential young leaders across the nation. Empowering youth with financial education is a critical step in fostering strong, confident leaders of tomorrow. The FDIC is committed to providing young people with the tools they need to make informed financial decisions and build a brighter future.
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How Money Smart can empower future leaders
Empowering future leaders starts with providing them the right tools, and the Money Smart resources are designed to equip young people with essential financial skills and confidence. The Guide to Organizing Reality Fairs offers a fun and interactive way to teach youth real-world financial skills. The Money Smart for Young Adults curriculum, designed for young adults ages 16-24, provides practical knowledge and tools for building financial confidence. Additionally, the Money Smart for Young People series, tailored for children and teens in grades Pre-K through 12, supports the development of essential financial habits. The engaging How Money Smart Are You? games reinforce critical financial concepts in a fun and interactive format. These resources equip young people of all ages with the skills they need to make informed financial decisions and become tomorrow’s leaders.
Success Story
This National Youth Leadership Month, we interviewed Connie Laguna, President and CEO of Center for Financial Training International (CFT International), a nonprofit educational organization based in Miami Dade, Florida. CFT International empowers, high-potential students through the Future Bankers and Financial Professionals Camp (Camp), a four-week program featuring two weeks of classroom instructions followed by two weeks of real-world experience provided through job shadowing, site visits, industry presentations, and hands on activities. We were also able to capture testimonials from students that participated in the Camp.
How did the FDIC get involved in the Future Bankers and Financial Professionals Camp?
A few years ago, CFT International presented the Camp program at a conference attended by the FDIC. The FDIC was impressed with the program and collaborated with CFT International to help expand it to other cities, particularly in underserved areas. The FDIC’s involvement has been crucial in supporting the growth and adoption of the Camp over the past six years.
How did you incorporate Money Smart into the Camp?
When CFT International held the Camp at Rowan University in Camden, New Jersey, they dedicated an “FDIC Day” where the FDIC presented the Reality Fair, including the How Money Smart Are You? games. The reality fair and games were a great fit for the high school students, providing engaging, hands-on financial education content. The students played the “Your Money Values and Influences” game on their phones followed by a debrief of their results, where they shared what they learned.
What did the students learn?
The students gained valuable insights into personal finance and banking. They learned about setting S.M.A.R.T. goals (Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Reachable, and Time-bound) and how to break them down into actionable steps. One student shared, “I learned how to take a broad goal of making more money into something concrete like ‘earn $200 in the next six months.’” The students also explored the importance of deposit insurance and how to use tools like the FDIC’s Electronic Deposit Insurance Estimator to ensure their money is protected.
During the reality fair, the students made decisions about expenses like housing, healthcare, and cell phone service plans. They saw how their choices impacted their overall financial picture and debt-to-income ratio. “It was eye-opening to see how little changes, like picking a more affordable cell phone plan, can really add up,” remarked a student.
What did the students think of How Money Smart Are You? and the Reality Fair?
The students really enjoyed participating in the reality fair and playing How Money Smart Are You?. It was a practical, interactive learning experience that equipped the students with essential personal finance skills they can apply in the real world. As one student shared, “I feel much more confident managing my money and reaching my financial goals after going through this program.”
What did the students think of the camp overall?
One Camden high school student said, "The FDIC briefing was amazing! Everything I gained from the Future Bankers Camp will have a big impact on my future after high school. I really enjoyed going out to different banks everyday meeting new people and making connections while learning how each bank works as a team. I learned about making multiple bank accounts, build and maintain a good credit score, how to invest and manage money. All of these are things that students need to know so they can manage money properly after high school. Making connections is most important, that’s how you get more exposure to new things and opportunities throughout life as you get older.”
How many students participated? Any plans to expand Money Smart to more students?
A total of 12 students from various Camden County high schools took part in the Camp at Rowan University in Camden, New Jersey. Going forward, CFT International is interested in finding ways to integrate the Money Smart program more extensively into the two-week camp curriculum across all their locations, not just Camden.
Please consider sending a success story on your Money Smart financial education sessions to ConsumerEducation@fdic.gov. We look forward to highlighting your programs in a future edition of this newsletter. Please include any tips you may have based on your use of the material.
Upcoming Money Smart Events
On February 27, the FDIC will host a webinar on Empowering Youth: Using the FDIC Reality Fair Toolkit to Build Real-world Financial Skills.
Latest FDIC Consumer News Edition
The February 2025 edition of FDIC Consumer News titled “Preparing for Tax Season?”, provides tips and Ideas for managing your refund safely and securely.
Tips and Techniques
CFT International recommends that any organization, even those without financial education expertise, can successfully integrate the Money Smart program into their youth development initiatives by collaborating with the FDIC and tailoring the content and activities to fit their program’s needs and audience. Organizations can collaborate with the FDIC by contacting ConsumerEducation@fdic.gov or by going to Community Affairs Program and Contacts | FDIC.gov.