The Possible Zone (TPZ), in partnership with EmpowerED Finances and Citizens, launched a five-module, interactive financial literacy series to help equip high school seniors in Boston with the tools and confidence they need to take control of their financial futures.
The need is urgent:
- Across the U.S.: About 75% of students do not have access to a dedicated personal financial literacy course – in urban school districts: this rises to 95%.
- Schools with higher proportions of Black or Hispanic students are about half as likely to guarantee a standalone personal-finance course compared to schools with fewer than 25% Black/Hispanic enrollment.
- Just 4% of Americans demonstrate full proficiency on seven core personal finance questions.
Through EmpowerED’s Learn – Earn – Engage model, seniors at The Possible Zone, a youth development program headquartered in Boston, are:
- Learning budgeting, saving, credit, and investing.
- Earning a digital badge and acceleration money towards a bank account.
- Engaging with financial professionals at an account-opening event.
Through the program, each student is receiving their acceleration funding, earning a digital credential, and building confidence to further help them navigate early adulthood.
“Throughout our core programming, students build durable and technical skills that help prepare them for post-secondary success – in continued education and enduring careers,” said Joanna Sanborn, TPZ V.P. of Post-Secondary Pathways. “This extra-curricular financial education course with EmpowerEd and Citizens is helping a cohort of our students develop essential life skills to manage money effectively, build a strong financial foundation, and make informed decisions that can positively impact economic mobility and foster longer-term financial security.”
“At Citizens, we champion financial literacy as a cornerstone of lifelong independence and success,” said Mark Thompson, Regional Market Executive at Citizens Private Bank. “We were proud to join TPZ’s FastForge Hackathon last month, where our team saw firsthand the creativity and determination these students bring to every challenge. Together, we’re helping unlock possibility and create pathways to economic mobility.”
Committed to strengthening community members’ financial security, Citizens is also working with TPZ to offer four financial literacy classes for family members of TPZ students over the next several months, beginning with Financially Lit Dads held earlier this month.
“What truly sets EmpowerED apart is our belief that financial education should unlock possibility, not just proficiency. Students earn college credit, acceleration funding for savings or investing accounts, and digital badges as tangible proof that their ideas and effort matter, while youth organizations and high schools get a turnkey model that removes barriers instead of adding them. We’re building pathways to financial freedom that students can feel today and carry for a lifetime,” said Farida Graham, Co-Founder of EmpowerED Finances.
The inaugural cohort of TPZ students participating in the five-module financial literacy empowerment program will celebrate completion of the module on December 2, 2025, at the organization’s Boston Innovation Center.
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