About Us

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School Districts

At Connecticut Financial Scholars, we believe access to financial empowerment education is critical to overcoming systemic economic barriers.

Our Mission

We provide high school students, teachers, and families with the tools needed to develop financial skills, build greater wealth, and achieve financial empowerment.

Our Story

Connecticut Financial Scholars is an evolution of a program that launched in 2016 in Philadelphia as a corporate impact initiative founded at FS Investments. Members of the financial services community, as well as several law firms, accounting firms and community organizations, joined together in 2020 to expand the program and reach more teachers, families and students with critical financial empowerment programs.

Financial Scholars expanded to include curriculum and professional development for daily in-school financial literacy education, entrepreneurship enrichment powered by corporate and university volunteers, paid summer workforce development programming for teens, and evening financial empowerment workshops for adults in our school communities.

In Philadelphia, the organization has partnered with 28 high schools to serve over 3,500 students. In Connecticut, we're launching by training 66 teachers from 40 of the highest need schools across the state.

We're focused on student impact and outcomes: we train teachers and prioritize curricular resources and activities that reflect the diverse backgrounds and experiences of the students we serve. We aim to incorporate culturally relevant materials and examples into our financial literacy curriculum, enabling students to see themselves and their access to bright futures reflected in their learning materials.

Through a commitment to equity and a focus on accessibility, we aim to bridge the opportunity gap and ensure that historically under-served students have equal access to the knowledge and skills necessary for financial empowerment.

Connecticut has two new policy initiatives aimed at reducing the wealth gap in our state: a financial literacy education high school graduation requirement and a Baby Bonds program. Financial Scholars has a track record of effective implementation and is ready to bring our successful programming to Connecticut.

We can help Connecticut become a role model for combatting income disparity and generating economic opportunity for all. 

What Board Members
Are Saying

“It was amazing to see how engaged and informed the students were. Impressively, not only did they demonstrate that they understood the concepts and terminology, but they also articulated their preferences for managing their finances responsibly. Such an amazing program that I wish I had in high school.”

Sulaiman Rahman, CEO/Founder of DiverseForce
(Board Member)

Core Team

Kerry Wagner Woodward

Executive Director, Financial Scholars

Kerry Wagner Woodward is Executive Director of Financial Scholars. She oversees curriculum and professional development, school partnerships, corporate sponsorships, program expansion, mission advocacy, and collaborates with the Board of Directors on the strategic vision of the organization.

Read Full Bio

Nancy Kail

Executive Director, CT Financial Scholars

Nancy Kail is the first CT Financial Scholars Executive Director. She oversees curriculum and professional development, school partnerships, corporate sponsorships, program expansion, mission advocacy, and collaborates with CTFS Board members and Financial Scholars Executive Director Kerry Woodward on the strategic vision of of CT FS.

Read Full Bio

Participating Schools

  • Ansonia High School
  • Bassick High School
  • Bloomfield High School
  • Bridgeport Military Academy
  • Central High School
  • Bristol Eastern High School
  • Cooperative Arts and Humanities High Schoolbins
  • Crosby High School
  • Edison Middle School
  • Eli Whitney Technical High School
  • Ella T. Grasso Southeastern Technical High Schools
  • Enfield High School
  • Fairchild Wheeler Interdistrict Multi-Magnet Campus
  • Hamden Adult Education
  • Hamden High School
  • Warren Harding High School
  • Hatters Park
  • High School in the Community
  • John F. Kennedy High School
  • Maloney High School - SBHC
  • Metropolitan Business Academy
  • Naugatuck High School
  • New Britain High School
  • New Haven Correction Center
  • Norwalk High School
  • Orville H. Platt High School
  • Hartford Public Schools
  • Rockville High School
  • The Gilbert School
  • University High School of Science & Engineering
  • Waterbury Arts Magnet School
  • Waterbury Career Academy
  • Weaver High School
  • West Haven High School
  • Wilby High School
  • Windham High School

Board of Directors

Coming Soon

Our Sponsors

The Financial Education Landscape

The Problem (Lack of Resources)

65% of students in Connecticut have access to a fully dedicated personal finance class. In urban school districts, fewer than 5% of students are guaranteed to take a personal finance class.
High school students living in rural areas are three times more likely to take a financial literacy course than those at urban schools, according to Next Gen Personal Finance.
High schools where more than 75% of students are Black or Hispanic are half as likely to require these courses compared to schools where fewer than 25% of students are Black or Hispanic.

The Solution

76% of recent high school grads said they wished their schools placed more emphasis on personal finance, according to a 2019 Experian Consumer Finance Survey.

88% of adults surveyed in April 2022 said they wanted all schools to require either a semester- or year-long personal finance course.
Graduates of high schools with guaranteed financial education save an average of $1,300 in high-interest private debt per student and 21% less likely to carry a balance on a credit card while in college.
Read this article from US Today: Shrink the racial wealth gap by offering personal finance classes in high school.

Benefits of Financial Education

Students from high schools with guaranteed financial education are 21% less likely to carry a balance on a credit card while in college, submit the FAFSA 3.5% more often, and use subsidized student loans 13% more often.
Students from high schools with guaranteed financial education save an average of $1,300 in high-interest private debt per student.
High school students and adults overwhelmingly rank personal finance as the most useful high school course: 76% of recent high school grads said they wished their schools placed more emphasis on personal finance, according to a 2019 Experian Consumer Finance Survey, and 88% of adults surveyed in April 2022 said they wanted all schools to require either a semester- or year-long personal finance course.

Teacher Approval

Educators find tremendous value in Financial Scholars programming and professional development:
‍
Teachers rated our curricular resources a 5.0 out of 5.0 in an end-of-year survey.

Teachers rated their overall experience with Financial Scholars 4.8 out of 5.0.

95% strongly agreed that professional development will elevate their teaching practice and result in positive student outcomes.

Get Involved

Join us in bringing high quality financial empowerment education to the students and families of Connecticut. Join our mailing list and follow us on our social media for updates, events and opportunities.

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