THE COUNSELOR AND I'M THE CHAIR OF THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION . TODAY IS SEPTEMBER 25TH, 2025
AND THE TIME IS 2:09 P.M.. THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED IS ALSO BEING LIVESTREAMED AT BOSTON DOT GOV SLASH CITY COUNCIL ATTACHED TV AND BROADCASTED ON A FINNISH
CHANNEL EIGHT RCN CHANNEL EIGHT TO AND FOLLOWS CHANNEL 964 WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE EMAIL ASK THE EDUCATION BOSTON.COM AND WILL
BE MADE PART OF THE RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS. PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN AT THE END OF THIS HEARING. INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED ON IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY SIGNED UP AND WILL HAVE 2
MINUTES TO TESTIFY. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TESTIFYING IN PERSON THIS OTHER NAME TO THE SIGN UP SHEET NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE CHAMBER. IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO TESTIFY VIRTUALLY PLEASE EMAIL OUR
CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON MEGHAN MEGHAN CRUDO BOSTON LEGAL FOR THE LINK AND YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST. TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET NUMBER 0318.
ORDER FOR A HEARING TO DISCUSS FINANCIAL LITERACY PROGRAMS IN BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THIS MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY COUNSELORS AT FLYNN. COUNCILOR ERIN MURPHY AND COUNCILOR JULIA MEJIA AND WAS
REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON JANUARY 29, 2025. TODAY I AM JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL COUNCILOR MURPHY. COUNCILOR FLYNN. COUNCILOR BUT THEN
COUNCILOR BREADON AND COUNCIL ARE ALL BEFORE I INTRODUCE OUR PANEL WITH US HERE TODAY I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR SOME
BRIEF OPENING REMARKS. I'M STARTING WITH THE LEAD SPONSOR AND THEN WE'LL GO IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL. SO COUNCILOR FLYNN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR.
AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS IMPORTANT MEETING. THANK YOU TO COUNCILOR MURPHY AND COUNCIL HERE FOR SPONSORING THIS WITH ME.
I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE COUNCILOR PEPPER AND YOU YOU SPONSORED THIS ALSO LAST JUNE ALSO HAD AN EXCELLENT HEARING. SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO
COUNCILOR PEPEN FOR THE WORK HE'S DONE ON FINANCIAL LITERACY . FINANCIAL LITERACY IS AN IMPORTANT SKILL CRITICAL SKILL THAT HELPS US MANAGE DAY TO DAY FINANCES.
LEARNING HOW TO BUDGET AND REACH FINANCIAL GOALS. BASIC FINANCIAL CONCEPTS AT A YOUNG AGE CAN HELP PREPARE OUR STUDENTS AS THEY TRANSITION INTO ADULTHOOD AND EQUIP THEM
WITH THE KNOWLEDGE TO MAKE BETTER PERSONAL FINANCIAL DECISIONS. IN 2015 MY STATE STATE TREASURER DEB GOLDBERG ESTABLISHED THE OFFICE
OF ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND CREATED THE MASSACHUSETTS FINANCIAL LITERACY TASK FORCE TO STUDY THE ACCESS TO FINANCIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR HIGH SCHOOL KIDS COLLEGE
KIDS STUDENTS I SHOULD SAY. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE STATE TREASURER. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE IMPORTANT WORK BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS DO AS WELL. I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE
GREATER BOSTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JIM MORONEY WHO PROVIDED TESTIMONY. BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR THE CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE FINANCIAL LITERACY ESPECIALLY EDUCATING OUR YOUNG YOUNG STUDENTS. THAT'S AN IMPORTANT GOAL OF THE CHAMBER BUT ALSO OF ALL OF US.
AND JUST QUICKLY I WAS I WAS STATIONED I WAS SERVED 24 YEARS IN THE NAVY AND ONE OF THE ONE OF THE DUTIES I HAD WAS TEACHING YOUNG PEOPLE ALMOST
LIFE SKILLS AT TIMES AND ONE OF THE ONE OF THE SUBJECTS I TAUGHT WAS LIFE SKILLS AND FINANCIAL LITERACY AND OFTEN
TIMES AN 18 YEAR OLD KID ONCE THEY GOT THEIR FIRST PAYCHECK THEY WOULD BUY AN AUTOMOBILE AT A HIGH INTEREST RATE 23%, 25%.
THEY HAD A BEAUTIFUL CAR BUT THEY HAD A HUGE MONTHLY PAYMENT THAT THAT THEY HAD TO COME UP WITH. BUT THEY THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND FINANCIAL LITERACY AS A YOUTH,
AS A CHILD OR AS A STUDENT. THAT'S WHY WHAT YOU ARE DOING HERE IS SO IMPORTANT TO BE 18. BUT ALSO THE TEACHERS IN BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
SO THANK YOU, MR CHAIRMAN. THANK YOU, COUNSELOR FLYNN. COUNSELOR MURPHY, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, CHAIR THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. I'D SAY TO BEGIN BUT WE'RE CONTINUING RIGHT?
WE'RE CONTINUING THIS IMPORTANT CONVERSATION ABOUT FINANCIAL LITERACY FOR OUR STUDENTS HERE FOR ALL OF OUR KIDS HERE IN BOSTON. WE KNOW THAT FINANCIAL LITERACY IS NOT JUST ABOUT NUMBERS ON A
PAGE. IT'S NOT JUST A MATH CLASS. IT'S ABOUT GIVING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE THE TOOLS TO MAKE SMART, CONFIDENT DECISIONS THAT WILL SHAPE THEIR FUTURES WHETHER
IT'S MANAGING A FIRST PAYCHECK, OPENING A BANK ACCOUNT, APPLYING FOR STUDENT LOANS OR UNDERSTANDING CREDIT. THESE ARE REAL LIFE SKILLS EVERY STUDENT DESERVES TO GRADUATE WITH. TOO MANY OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE
LEAVE HIGH SCHOOL WITHOUT THIS FOUNDATION AND NATIONAL SURVEY BY EXPERIAN FOUND THAT THREE IN FIVE AMERICANS ADMITTING TO MAKING COSTLY MISTAKES BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T FINANCIALLY PREPARED.
AND WHILE OTHER STATES ARE MOVING FORWARD, MASSACHUSETTS STILL LAGS BEHIND, LEAVING MANY OF OUR STUDENTS UNPREPARED FOR ADULTHOOD. AT THE SAME TIME, WE DO HAVE
PROMISING EXAMPLES RIGHT HERE IN BOSTON. PROGRAMS LIKE CITY KIDS WHICH WE'LL HEAR FROM STEVE WHALEN AT THE SECOND PANEL WHO'S AT EAST BOSTON HIGH AND I BELIEVE SOME OTHER SCHOOLS ACROSS BOSTON
WHICH PARTNERED WITH STUDENTS TO TEACH PRACTICAL FINANCIAL SKILLS ARE SHOWING WHAT WORKS WHEN WE INVEST IN OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. ALSO SEEING CITY KIDS AT THE
BASE AND OTHER PLACES WHERE YOU KNOW, KIDS GATHER IF IT'S AT SCHOOL OR JUST AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMING. YOU KNOW, FIND THE KIDS WHERE THEY ARE AND TEACH THEM THE SKILLS THEY NEED IS THE
MENTALITY THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE. SO THE QUESTION BEFORE US TODAY IS HOW CAN WE BUILD ON THESE SUCCESSES AND MAKE FINANCIAL LITERACY A CONSISTENT ASSESSABLE PART OF OUR HIGH
SCHOOL EXPERIENCE? WHAT WE FOUND AND WHY I FILED THIS HEARING AGAIN IS THERE ARE SOME GREAT EXAMPLES BUT IT'S NOT REQUIRE IT AND IT'S NOT FOR EVERY STUDENT ACROSS THE CITY. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO
HEARING FROM DPS COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND ADVOCATES TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DOING AND TO REALLY APPROACH THIS AS FINANCIAL EDUCATION. TO ME IT'S LIKE IT'S NOT A
LUXURY. IT SHOULDN'T BE AN EXTRA COURSE OR SOME SOMETHING SPECIAL THAT YOUR SCHOOL MAY OFFER. EVERY CHILD SHOULD BE GETTING THIS EDUCATION THAT THEY NEED
TO BE SUCCESSFUL ADULTS. WE CAN'T WE ALL SHOULD HAVE THESE SKILLS SO WE SHOULD BE PROVIDING IT FOR EVERYONE DESPITE YOUR ZIP CODE WHAT HIGH SCHOOL YOU'RE ASSIGNED TO. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING
WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WHAT WE CAN DO ON THE COUNCIL TO SUPPORT THIS. THE GROWTH OF THAT. SO THANK YOU, JEFF. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MURPHY. I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE'VE BEEN ALSO JOINED BY
COUNCILOR FITZGERALD COUNCILOR BUT THEN YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. AND THANK YOU TO THE SPONSORS OF THIS VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC. THESE ARE THE PANELISTS THAT ARE HERE TODAY. YOU KNOW, AS A BOSTON PUBLIC
SCHOOL GRAD I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE SOME FINANCIAL LITERACY CLASSES BEFORE GRADUATING. I THINK THAT WHEN YOU LEAVE SCHOOL AND INTO THE INTO THE QUOTE UNQUOTE REAL WORLD WITH
ANY FINANCIAL AND FINANCIAL LITERACY UNDERSTANDING IT CAN REALLY PUT YOU AHEAD OF THE CURVE IN TERMS OF WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO PURCHASE A HOME, PAYING RENT, PAYING YOUR BILLS OR JUST BEING OFF WELL OFF
ECONOMICALLY. I WAS HAVING A PRETTY GOOD CONVERSATION WITH MY COLLEAGUE COUNCILOR OVERALL ABOUT THIS TOPIC WHEREAS ALSO NOT JUST ABOUT SAVINGS ACCOUNTING FOR ONE CASE BUT ALSO ABOUT HOW TO
GET INTO REAL ESTATE, HOW TO HOW TO INVEST YOUR MONEY PROPERLY, HOW TO BE SAVVY WITH PURCHASES AND ARE YOU GOING TO LEASE A CAR OR PURCHASE THE CAR? I, I THINK THAT IF I'M SPEAKING
FROM A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, IF I WOULD HAVE HAD THIS INFORMATION I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A BETTER SITUATION THAN I AM TODAY AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS WHEN THEY ARE TAKING CLASSES IN
OUR IN OUR HIGH SCHOOLS THEY CAN LEAVE WITH SOME WITH SOME KNOWLEDGE THAT CAN HELP THEM IN THE FUTURE WHEN THEY GET INTO THE WORK FIELD. AND WE ALL KNOW THAT STUDENTS START WORKING AS EARLY AS HIGH
SCHOOL SO THEY CAN START PRACTICING SOME OF THOSE THOSE FINANCIAL PRACTICES. SO JUST I MEAN EXCITED TO HEAR WHAT'S HAPPENING ALREADY BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S SOME STUFF THAT ARE HAPPENING IN
SEVERAL SCHOOLS. I WANT TO KNOW HOW WE CAN EXPAND IT AND I WANT TO KNOW HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT ALL STUDENTS ARE BENEFITING FROM THESE RESOURCES. SO I'M EXCITED FOR THIS YEAR. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. THANK YOU, COUNSELOR AND
COUNSELOR BREADON, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. AND GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. GOOD TO SEE YOU. I'M HERE TO LISTEN AND LEARN.
I, I THINK FINANCIAL LITERACY IS A CORE LIFE SKILL WE HAVE AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS IF YOU MAKE MISTAKES IT CAN BE DEVASTATING.
BUT IF YOU ARE WELL INFORMED AND HAVE A GOOD SKILL BASE AND NAVIGATING FINANCIAL ISSUES IT CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE. SO I'M REALLY I ALSO THINK IT'S
A GREAT TRANSCRIPT. YOU'LL SEE IN TERMS OF BUSINESS SKILLS AND MATH SKILLS AND AND
ALL OF IT TOGETHER WE CAN AN ENTREPRENEUR SKILLS WE CAN WE CAN BUILD A CURRICULUM THAT'S EXCITING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND NOT JUST ABOUT NUMBERS SO I'M
CURIOUS TO LEARN MORE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNSELOR RATE AND COUNCILOR ALL YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU
TO THE CO-SPONSORS AND ALSO THANK YOU TO COUNCILOR PEN FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD LAST YEAR AND BEING ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PUSH THIS FORWARD. THIS HEARING IS SO IMPORTANT
FOR ME. I'M AN ACCOUNTING MAJOR AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I WENT INTO ACCOUNTING WAS TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, HOW MONEY WORKS. ANY BUSINESS OWNER EVEN IN LIFE
YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW MONEY WORKS BECAUSE EVERY DECISION YOU MAKE IS COMPOUNDED BY COMPOUNDING NEGATIVELY WHICH CAN CAN'T BE COMPOUNDED POSITIVELY POSITIVELY.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO EQUIP OUR STUDENTS AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE WITH ALL USEFUL INFORMATION THAT THEY COULD USE MONEY IN A POSITIVE WAY. I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I
LEARNED ABOUT FINANCIAL LITERACY I'M GOING TO PLUG THE BOOK RICH DAD POOR DAD THAT WAS ONE OF THE BOOKS THAT I READ THAT KIND OF OPENED MY EYES TO
THE WAY THAT MONEY WORKS AND WANTED ME TO DIVE EVEN DEEPER INTO JUST LEARNING AND UNDERSTANDING FINANCIAL LITERACY AND EVEN AT MY AGE I FEEL LIKE I AM STILL LEARNING. I FEEL LIKE THERE ARE NEW TERMS
THAT ARE COMING OUT THAT WEREN'T THERE AND WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL EVEN COLLEGE YOU HAVE CRYPTOCURRENCY, YOU HAVE NFT. SO LIKE FINANCIAL LITERACY IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT IS CONSTANTLY INVOLVING.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE EQUIPPING OUR STUDENTS WITH THE BASICS BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE PREPARED TO ENTER THE REAL WORLD WITH ALL A VAST
UNDERSTANDING OF OF ALL THE TOOLS AND AND PRODUCTS THAT ARE OUT THERE. I ALSO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO CITY KIDS AND STEVE WHALEN FOR ALL THAT THE WORK THAT YOU DO HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON AND JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO
THIS CONVERSATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR WERE COUNCILOR FITZGERALD YEP FOR THANK YOU CHIEF. I ALWAYS BELIEVE IN STRENGTHENING YOUR WEAKNESSES.
RIGHT. AND SO THAT'S WHY WHEN I FINANCIAL LITERACY WAS NOT ONE OF THEM AND I WAS ABLE TO GO AND GET MY MBA, THE ONLY THING I REALLY LEARNED IS AFTER I GOT
IT AND I GOT THE FIRST BILL I SAID WELL THIS WAS NOT A GOOD BUSINESS DECISION TO MAKE THIS BUT THIS IS NOT A HIGHER ED TOPIC AT THE MOMENT. IT'S SO IMPORTANT. I THINK IT ALSO CAN BE INCLUDED
IN FINANCIAL LITERACY IS TALKING ABOUT TAXES, TALKING ABOUT RETIREMENT NOT ONLY HOW TO MANAGE YOUR MONEY AND MAKING IT WORK FOR YOU WHICH I THINK IS A GREAT POINT FROM COUNCILOR WORRELL BUT THERE'S SO MANY OTHER ASPECTS
OF FINANCIAL LITERACY THAT AS WE KNOW GROWING UP TODAY YOU'RE LEARNING ON THE FLY AS IT HAPPENS AND IT'S SO EASY TO FALL BEHIND WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE ALL THAT INFORMATION UP FRONT AND SO DEFINITELY I THINK IT'S
A CRITICAL PART. IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT FOR DECADES AS WELL. WHY DON'T WE DO THIS AND I'D LOVE TO SEE US TRY AND REALLY IMPLEMENT THAT MORE SO ALL OF OUR YOUTH CAN BE READY AND NOT FALL INTO THE SAME TRAPS
MAYBE MANY OF US HAD FALLEN INTO DURING OUR TIME. BUT THANK YOU. THANK YOU CAN ALSO FITZGERALD AND I THINK THE ONLY THING THAT I WILL ADD IS THAT YOU KNOW, I FIRST WANT TO THANK THE SPONSORS FOR BRINGING THIS
FORWARD. YOU KNOW, I THINK IN MY FIRST TERM MY NUMBER ONE PRIORITY HAS BEEN OUR YOUTH AND THIS PAST SUMMER WE HAD, YOU KNOW, 15 YOUTH WORKING IN OUR OFFICE AND
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY REQUESTED WAS MORE FINANCIAL LITERACY THAT THEY WEREN'T RECEIVING BEEPERS OR THAT THEY DID TAKE MAYBE ONE COURSE BUT IT WASN'T A
GRADUATION REQUIREMENT OR YOU KNOW OR IT WASN'T WHAT THEY ACTUALLY THOUGHT IT WAS AND NOT SOMETHING YOU WANT TO GIVE TO OUR YOUTH THAT WE HAD THIS SUMMER.
DANIEL AND DAVID WHO CO-FOUNDED WHAT WE CALL WHAT THEY CALL PORTION AVENUE AND IT'S YOUTH TEACHING OTHER YOUTH FINANCIAL LITERACY AND EDUCATION. THEY TAUGHT OUR YOUTH THAT
MYSELF AND MY TEAM THROUGH DIFFERENT WORKSHOPS THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER AND THEY'RE LOOKING TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND AND WE'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT TYPE OF PARTNERSHIPS THESE KIDS CAN HAVE WITH US TO MAKE SURE
THAT FINANCIAL LITERACY IS STILL SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN LEARN FROM. AND I THINK YOU KNOW, WE ALL TOOK SCIENCE, WE ALL TOOK ENGLISH, WE ALL TOOK HISTORY. THE THINGS THAT WE'RE USING EVERY DAY I THINK FINANCIAL
LITERACY IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE YOU KNOW, WE AS ADULTS ARE NAVIGATING THESE DIFFERENT SYSTEMS EVERY SINGLE DAY AND I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE, YOU KNOW,
A PRIORITY WITHIN ESPECIALLY OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. OUR STUDENTS ARE STARTING TO WORK AT 14 YEARS OLD. AND YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER ONE OF THE ONE OF OUR 14 YEAR OLDS THIS PAST SUMMER DIDN'T KNOW
HOW TO READ A CHECK. THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHICH NUMBER WAS THE NUMBER THAT YOU TOOK HOME. RIGHT. AND EVEN THOSE LITTLE THINGS I THINK ARE VERY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY AMONGST OUR BLACK
AND BROWN CHILDREN HERE. SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I WILL NOW INTRODUCE OUR AMAZING PANEL HERE TODAY. I REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AND BEING PRESENT WITH US HERE.
WE HAVE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION WE HAVE ADVISORS CLARK WHO IS THE DEVELOPMENT OFFICER FOR STRATEGY PARTNERSHIPS AND INNOVATION WITH BEPS.
WE HAVE MARCIA AND IT'S MITCHELL WHO'S THE WHO IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF POSTSECONDARY INITIATIVES WITH BEPS AND WE HAVE ANGELA E HADLEY MITCHELL WHO IS THE
CHIEF OF TEACHING AND LEARNING WITH BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I'LL TURN OVER THE FLOOR TO YOU ALL FOR ANY OPENING REMARKS OR PRESENTATION AND THEN WE'LL GO TO CLASS OF QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING THE VP'S TEAM HERE TODAY. MY NAME IS DR. ANGELA HILL MITCHELL I PROUDLY SERVE THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS AS THE
CHIEF OF TEACHING AND LEARNING IN MY FIRST ROLE IN BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS I SERVED AS A HISTORIAN ECONOMICS TEACHER AND I ACTUALLY TAUGHT PERSONAL FINANCE. SO THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT I'VE DONE FOR THE LAST 25 YEARS
AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME AS WELL. AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR DC I'LL TAKE A LIKE A HISTORY OF AN HOUR AND HAVE THE TEACHING AND LEARNING ASPECT
OF IT. WE HAVE THE DSC MASSACHUSETTS HISTORY AND SOCIAL SCIENCE FRAMEWORKS WHERE PERSONAL LITERACY ACTUALLY LIVES AS A COURSE. AND WHAT THAT HAS IS LOOKS AT
HAVING A HIGH SCHOOL ELECTIVE WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE A QUARTER HOUR THAT COULD BE DONE IN THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL AND IT LOOKS TO HAVE STUDENTS LOOK AT THE TOPICS OF EARNING AND
SPENDING INCOME SAVING MONEY USING CREDIT, MAKING INVESTMENTS AND PROTECTING AND INSURING ASSETS. THE FRAMEWORK IS FLEXIBLE IN SAYING THAT IT COULD BE A COURSE OR IT COULD BE SOMETHING
THAT'S INTERWOVEN INTO A BUSINESS COURSE A COLLEGE CAREER READINESS CURRICULUM, A MATH COURSE OR ANOTHER HISTORY AND SOCIAL SCIENCE COURSE. WE HAVE THAT AND WE ALSO HAVE
ECONOMICS WHICH IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT TOPIC OF ITSELF. IN MY PREVIOUS ROLE HERE AND BPOS I SERVED AS THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR FOR HISTORY AND SOCIAL SCIENCE AND DURING THAT OPPORTUNITY I WAS ABLE TO
OBTAIN A GRANT FROM THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION DURING SCHOOL YEAR 2122 AND WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO IS WORK WITH TEACHER LEADERS
ACROSS GRADES K TO 12. SO I LOOK AT IT AS A K-12 INITIATIVE. EVEN THOUGH OUR STANDARDS TALK ABOUT IT AS A HIGH SCHOOL ELECTIVE AND WE LOOKED AT NEXT GEN FIND IT PERSONAL FINANCE
STANDARDS AND TRIED TO IDENTIFY WHAT ARE THE PILLARS FOR FINANCIAL LITERACY IN THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SO WE LOOKED AT PERSONAL BANKING CREDIT PAYING FOR COLLEGE AND TRADE SCHOOL BEHAVIORAL ECONOMICS.
WHAT INFLUENCES YOU AS YOU KNOW NOW WITH SOCIAL MEDIA YOU CAN GET CLICK YOUR PHONE TO SOMETHING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU SEE AN AD AND YOU SHOULD SHOP HERE LEARNING HOW
COMPANIES ACTUALLY INFLUENCE STUDENTS TO MAKE PURCHASES AND THEN ALSO LOOK AT GROWING WEALTH WHICH I KNOW SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TALKED ABOUT AND FROM THAT CAME A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE
ORGANIZATION. MARCIA, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE WHICH IS EVER FY WHICH IS A FINANCIAL LITERACY PLATFORM THAT'S AVAILABLE TO ALL STUDENTS IN THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS GRADES 4 TO 12 AND IT
LIVES ON OUR CLEVER PLATFORM AND THAT'S A PLATFORM WHERE STUDENTS ENGAGE IN DIGITAL LEARNING AND MATH SCIENCE HISTORY AND EVERIFY HAS BEEN A PARTNER WITH US FOR THE LAST
FIVE SIX YEARS AND INSTITUTES DIFFERENT MODULES. THEY'RE ONLINE MODULES. THEY'RE NOT SOMETHING THAT'S A FULL COURSE BUT IT'S DESIGNED FOR STUDENTS TO ENGAGE IN FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME.
THOSE WE HAVE CURRENTLY 30 SCHOOLS WHO ARE UTILIZING THE EVERIFY PLATFORM AND I'LL JUST READ OFF SOME OF THE COURSES THAT STUDENTS CAN TAKE. SOME OF OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS IN GRADES 4 TO 6 CAN TAKE A
COURSE CALLED UNDERSTANDING MONEY. THERE'S FUTURE SMART FINANCIAL LITERACY SAVE UP SAVING MONEY FOR THE FUTURE ENTREPRENEURIAL EXPERT EXPEDITION TEXT SIMULATION AND KNOW SOMEONE
TALKED ABOUT TAXES, MARKETPLACE INVESTING AND BASICS AND MINDING YOUR MONEY SKILLS FOR LIFE MODERN MONEY DIGITAL SAFE DIGITAL BANKING FINANCIAL LITERACY FOR HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING CREDIT AND FINANCIAL
PLANNING FOR LIFE. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE MODULES AND ALSO SO I FIND THAT FINANCING HIGHER EDUCATION THOSE ARE SOME OF THE MODULES THAT STUDENTS CAN ENGAGE WITH AND A NO MORE TOOLS.
WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE OF HOW OUR STUDENTS ENGAGE IN THOSE MODULES IN THEIR HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE AS THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING. I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS AS WELL BECAUSE I THINK IT'S SOMETHING
THAT WE CAN ENGAGE STUDENTS IN AT A YOUNGER AGE. OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM WHICH IS CALLED FOCUS STUDENTS ACTUALLY ENGAGE IN THIS CONVERSATION AND TO I BOUGHT
SOME REPRESENTED REPRESENTATIONS BECAUSE I'M A TEACHER AT HEART. WE HAVE SOME BOOKS THAT FOR INSTANCE A CHAIR FROM MY MOTHER IS A STORY WHERE THE STUDENTS
GET TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS A COIN, HOW IS IT USED FOR MONEY, WHAT IS CHANGE, WHAT'S TIP MONEY, WHAT'S A BARGAIN AND WHAT'S A BANK LIKE? WHAT DOES A BANK DO?
AND IN THIS STORY ROSA HAS A MOTHER AND SHE WORKS FOR A DINER AND THE STORIES ABOUT HOW THE MOM HAS TO SAVE MONEY SO IT HAS STUDENTS GO WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO TRY TO SAVE? AND IT TALKS ABOUT HAVING A JAR
AND PUTTING MONEY IN A JAR. AND SOME OF THE RESPONSES THAT ASK STUDENTS TO TALK ABOUT IS WHEN PEOPLE ARE IN MONEY WE OFTEN HAVE TO USE MOST OF IT RIGHT AWAY TO PAY FOR THINGS WE NEED TO LIVE LIKE FOOD AND A PLACE TO STAY.
WHAT MIGHT WE BE ABLE TO PUT MONEY ASIDE FOR TO SAVE? SO ONCE YOU HAVE THE MONEY TO EAT AND THE MONEY TO LIVE AND PAY THESE UTILITIES, WHAT ELSE COULD YOU SAVE FOR?
AND THEN IT HAS STUDENTS TALK ABOUT HAVE A CRITICAL CONVERSATION ABOUT THOSE WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE TO SAVE. SO ACTUALLY HAVING CONVERSATIONS OF THAT THAT MIGHT NOT BE A REALITY FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE SITTING
IN THE CLASSROOMS. AND ANOTHER STORY WE HAVE HERE AND THIS IS ALSO IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH AS YOU CAN SEE HERE ANOTHER STORY IS A RAINBOW WEAVER WHICH TALKS ABOUT A MAYAN COMMUNITY, ABOUT A
COMMUNITY WHERE THEY HAVE TO WEAVE CLOTH IN ORDER TO SELL, IN ORDER FOR THE STUDENT TO PAY FOR HER EXPENSES FOR SCHOOL AND BOOKS. SO I JUST SAY THAT TO SAY THAT IT'S A CONVERSATION THAT WE
HAVE EARLY ON AND BOOKS THAT ARE PART OF THAT CURRICULUM THAT TALK ABOUT SAVINGS. THEY PUT A STICKER HERE FOR BOSTON SAVINGS WHICH IS THE ACCOUNT THAT STUDENTS GET COMING INTO KINDERGARTEN WHERE
THEY GET THE $50 IN ORDER TO INVEST THAT AND HAVE WE HAVE A WHOLE DEPARTMENT THAT DOES THAT IN OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD SPACE BUT THAT STUDENTS SEE THAT IT'S PART OF THAT PROGRAM THAT WE
HAVE RIGHT NOW SORRY CURRENTLY AND BP'S. ALSO I WANT TO TALK ABOUT BEYOND THE EVERIFY PIECE WE ALSO HAVE SPACES WHERE IT'S INTEGRATED INTO OUR HIGH
QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS WHETHER IN OUR MATH CURRICULUM AND IT'S NOT STAND ALONE BUT AS THE STATE'S FRAMEWORKS PROVIDE THAT IT CAN BE INTEGRATED. SO IN OUR GRADE TWO WE HAVE
STUDENTS WHO ENGAGE WITH CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MONEY PROBLEMS SPENDING MONEY. IDENTIFY AND PICK NICKELS SORRY PENNIES, NICKELS AND DIMES AND GRADES. EVEN IN THE HIGH SCHOOL GRADES
WE HAVE CONVERSATION ABOUT COMPOUND INTEREST BUDGETING FOR SCHOOL EVENTS, SAVINGS ACCOUNTS ,AN INTEREST MAXIMIZING YOUR PROFITS. PART OF THE WORK I KNOW YOU
SAID COUNCILMEMBER SANTANA ABOUT OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ADVOCATING FOR FINANCIAL LITERACY PROGRAMING. WE HAVE A PROGRAM WITHIN OUR DISTRICT CALLED BP'S MENTORING
AND WITHIN THAT MENTORING PROGRAM THEY PARTNERED WITH THE SAC, WHICH IS THE BOSTON STUDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL. 400 STUDENTS ACTUALLY TOOK PART IN A FINANCIAL LITERACY CORE COMPONENT. THEY WORKED WITH AN
ORGANIZATION CALLED EARLY INVESTORS. IT'S A LOCAL NONPROFIT COMMITTING COMMITTED TO EMPOWERING BLACK AND BROWN YOUTH BY EQUIPPING THEM WITH FINANCIAL FOUNDATIONAL FINANCIAL LITERACY KNOWLEDGE.
THEY HAD CONVERSATION ABOUT BUDGETING AND MONEY MANAGEMENT, HOME OWNERSHIP AND CREDIT READINESS INVESTING TAX THINGS AND SMART FINANCIAL DECISION MAKING THAT IN ADDITION TO THAT
THEY ALSO THAT GROUP HAS PARTNERSHIPS WITH CHASE BANK IN DORCHESTER BAY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. SO THAT'S ABOUT REACHING ABOUT 400 OF OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE PART OF THAT MENTORING PROGRAM
OR PART OF THE B SAC B SAC COLLABORATIVE. JUST TO TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR COURSES THAT ARE AVAILABLE AND ECONOMICS
OF FINANCE WE HAVE ECONOMICS COURSES, WE HAVE INTRODUCTORY INTO BUSINESS COURSES THAT ARE AVAILABLE AND SOME DUAL ENROLLMENT SPACES. WE HAVE FINANCIAL LITERACY COURSE, WE HAVE AN ENTREPRENEURIAL COURSE SOMETHING THAT I'LL CLOSE WITH
THIS AND I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IS THE COLLEGE BOARD IS STARTING THIS YEAR PILOTING A COURSE CALLED ADVANCED PLACEMENT BUSINESS PRINCIPLES AND PERSONAL FINANCE ON THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL BE
PILOTING THAT COURSE IN 2627. SO THAT WOULD BE A HIGH SCHOOL COURSE THAT STUDENTS WOULD BE ABLE TO ENGAGE IN AND THAT WILL START NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. THANK YOU AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR. HAYLEY MITCHELL. THANK YOU, COUNSELOR MEMBERS FOR ALLOWING US TO SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY. MY NAME IS MARSHA INNIS
MITCHELL AND I SERVE AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF POSTSECONDARY INITIATIVES AND PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. MY ROLE SITS IN WHAT WE CALL
OUR OFFICE OF COLLEGE CAREER AND LIFE READINESS IN THE DISTRICT AND ONE OF THE PRIORITY FOCUS AREAS FOR OUR
OFFICE IS CREATING A INTERACT TWO OF K12 REALLY K 16 ADVISING SYSTEM. I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'VE HEARD OF OUR STATE'S MID-CAP
PROCESSING FRAMEWORK. IT STANDS FOR MY CAREER AND ACADEMIC PLAN. IT HAS THREE DOMAINS THAT WE HAVE TO BUILD OUT ANNUAL
ACTIVITIES, WORKSHOPS, EXPERIENCES FOR OUR STUDENTS. THOSE DOMAINS ARE PERSONAL SOCIAL CAREER DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS COLLEGE AND
POST-SECONDARY PLANNING. THE DISTRICT DECIDED THAT WE WERE GOING TO ADD A FOURTH DOMAIN AND THAT DOMAIN ENDED UP BEING FINANCIAL LITERACY
BECAUSE WE SAW THAT AS A PRIORITY AND WHAT MY CAP IS EVERY STUDENT IN GRADES SIX THROUGH 12 ARE ENGAGED IN A STRUCTURED SCOPE AND SEQUENCE
OF EXPERIENCES ACROSS ALL THOSE CORE DOMAINS. SO SOMETIMES IT'S LIKE YOU KNOW, FOUR EXPERIENCES PER YEAR OR SIX EXPERIENCES PER YEAR IN THE FORM OF A WORKSHOP OR A
LESSON THAT IS TAUGHT WITHIN THE ACADEMIC DAY AS PART OF THE CLASSROOM MODEL USUALLY. AND SO OUR OFFICE FACILITATES
EVERY NIGHT THROUGH 12TH GRADER BEING ENGAGED IN ONE BY NATIONAL LITERACY EXPERIENCE AND WORKSHOP AND I WANT TO BE VERY EXPLICIT ABOUT IT IS A
LESSON IS NOT A HALL COURSE SO IT'S LIKE A ONE TIME MODULE THAT ALIGNS WITH SPECIFIC GRADE LEVEL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
SCHOOLS IMPLEMENT THIS BY SELECTING THAT ACTIVITY THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP EITHER WITH CITIZENS BANK OR ROCKLAND TRUST .
THEY EITHER LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE AVERAGE BY A FINANCIAL LITERACY PLATFORM AS WELL AS OTHER RESOURCES AND PARTNERS. WE ALLOW THAT CHOICE MAKING BECAUSE MANY SCHOOLS HAVE
DIFFERENT PRIORITIES FOR THEIR STUDENTS. SO ONE SCHOOL MIGHT PREFER TO BRING IN A BANK TO FACILITATE THAT EXPERIENCE ALONGSIDE THEM. ANOTHER SCHOOL MIGHT LOOK FOR SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT MORE
SELF-DIRECTED OR ASYNCHRONOUS AT THE STUDENT LEVEL SO SCHOOLS SELECT THE ACTIVITY PER GRADE PER YEAR THAT THEY WILL UPLIFT
FOR THE FINANCIAL LITERACY DOMAIN AS PART OF THE MCAP. THESE LESSONS ALL HAVE A PRE ASSESSMENT OR SURVEY TO HELP US
TO GAUGE A STUDENT'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONCEPT RIGHT THAT THAT'S BEING TAUGHT AS PART OF THE FINANCIAL LITERACY EXPERIENCE. THERE'S ALSO A POST ASSESSMENT
THAT POST ASSESSMENT IS TO SEE LIKE DID YOU LEARN SOMETHING FROM THAT ONE EXPERIENCE? AND WE THEN DOCUMENT THAT THE STUDENT ACTUALLY COMPLETED IT WITHIN OUR COLLEGE AND CAREER
PLANNING PLATFORM WHICH IS NOVEL. SO WE HAVE SOME DATA ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS PER GRADE NINE THROUGH 12 THAT ACTUALLY COMPLETED ONE FINANCIAL
LITERACY EXPERIENCE PER YEAR IN GRADES NINE. JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF SOME OF THE THINGS WE FOCUS ON PER GRADES, STUDENTS LEARN SOME FOUNDATIONAL ON FINANCIAL
LITERACY CONCEPTS AS WELL AS VOCABULARY INCLUSIVE BUT NOT LIMITED TO SOME BANKING BASICS FINANCIAL GOALS AND PLANS HOW TO BUDGET.
THEY LEARN ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SAVINGS AND A CHECK INS ACCOUNT, RIGHT? AND YOU DON'T TOUCH YOUR SAVINGS UNLESS YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO IN A IN AN EMERGENCY SPEAKING TO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU
UPLIFTED COUNSELOR WERE WELL THAT IS THE YEAR WE ALSO EXPOSE THEM TO COMPOUND INTEREST BOTH THE NEGATIVE AS WELL AS THE POSITIVE HOW DOES IT HELP YOU GROW YOUR MONEY OR HOW YOU CAN
LOSE YOUR MONEY THROUGH THAT? THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR AROUND LIKE BANK FEES WHEN YOU GO AND USE YOUR ATM FOR EXAMPLE YOUR ATM CARD OF THE EXTERNAL BANK
YOU'RE GETTING CHARGED $3 OR MORE AT THAT BANK AT YOUR HOME BANK AND GRADE TEN WE CONTINUE WITH THE BASICS BUT THEN BEGIN TO INCORPORATE ASPECTS
CONNECTED TO COLLEGE AND CAREER. RIGHT. SO DURING THAT YEAR IS WHEN WE START HELPING THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MONEY THAT YOU HAVE TO PAY BACK RIGHT?
SUCH AS LOANS AND MONEY THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY BACK SUCH AS GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS. THAT IS THE YEAR WE ALSO BEGIN TO EXPOSE THEM THROUGH THAT COURSE THROUGH THAT ONE LESSON
TO DIFFERENT CAREERS AND EARNINGS ALIGNED TO DIFFERENT CAREERS AND CAREER CLUSTERS SO THEY CAN KIND OF MAKE SOME CHOICES FOR THEMSELVES AND THEN
THE IMPORTANCE OF BUILDING A CREDIT YOUR CREDIT OVER TIME IN GRADE 11 THE FINANCIAL LITERACY CONCEPT DOES BECOME A LITTLE BIT MORE ADVANCED RIGHT WHEN YOU START TALKING WITH OUR
STUDENTS ABOUT INVESTING AND FINANCIAL ASSETS AS WELL AS THE DIFFERENT FORMS OF TAXES. GRADE 12 AS STUDENTS ARE PREPARING FOR THEIR POSTS
SECONDARY LIVES THE FOCUS IS ON FINANCIAL LITERACY RELATED TO COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY SO WE TALK TO THEM ABOUT THEIR DIFFERENT POST-SECONDARY OPTIONS AND THE COST FACTORS AND FINANCIAL EXPECTATIONS
ASSOCIATED WITH ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT OPTIONS. WE THEN ENGAGE THEM IN SOME SMART MONEY HABITS SUCH AS BUDGETING AGAIN FINANCIAL PLANNING AND MONEY MANAGEMENT.
THAT IS THE YEAR WE GO REALLY DEEPLY IN HELPING THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FREE APPLICATION FOR BALANCE STUDENT AID, THE FAFSA VERSUS THE MASTABA WHICH IS THE MASSIVE CHOOSES
APPLICATION FOR STUDENT FINANCIAL AID AND WE GO OVER ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND SUPPORT THEM WITH THE APPLICATION PROCESS BECAUSE WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
THEY ARE ACCESSING ALL OF THE STATE AID THAT'S AVAILABLE TO THEM NOW DURING THE PANDEMIC IS WHEN WE BEGAN TO LAYER ON THE FINANCIAL LITERACY COMPONENT TO OUR ADVISING PROCESS AND
SYSTEM. SO IN 2023 AND 2024 I'LL SHARE SOME WITH YOU ONLY 9% OF OUR NINTH GRADERS WERE BEING
ENGAGED IN THIS ONE LESSON. BUT THIS PAST YEAR THAT MOVED FROM I'M SORRY IT WAS 5% OF OUR NINTH GRADERS THAT MOVED FROM 5% TO 30% OF OUR NINTH GRADERS
FOR THE 10TH GRADERS AND MOVED FROM 7% IN 2324 TO 49% IN 2425 . AND FOR OUR 11TH GRADERS 40% OF OUR STUDENTS WERE ENGAGED.
THAT INCREASED TO 50% IN 2425. AND THEN FOR OUR 12TH GRADERS IT WAS 66% AND AN INCREASE TO 72%. NOW THIS COMING THE GOAL IS
100% COMPLETION OF OUR FINANCIAL LITERACY EXPERIENCE ACROSS GRADES AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY JESSE WHO KIND OF ORIGINATED THE MY CAP
FRAMEWORK IS REQUIRING ALL DISTRICTS TO REPORT ON COMPLETION OF THESE EXPERIENCES AND SO WE ARE REALLY PUSHING THE NEEDLE AND WORKING AND
SUPPORTING SCHOOLS AND WORKING ALONGSIDE THEM TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE ENGAGING 100% OF THEIR STUDENTS IN ALL OF MICROCAP
EXPERIENCES ACROSS ALL DOMAINS INCLUDING OFF OF FINANCIAL LITERACY. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO HOPEFULLY COMING BACK TO A HEARING NEXT YEAR AND SHARING SOME OF THOSE
OUTCOME DATA WITH YOU. I'LL PASS IT TO MY COLLEAGUE AND GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY. MY NAME IS DR. ANN ROGERS CLARK
I SERVE AS THE DEVELOPMENT OFFICER OF STRATEGY PARTNERSHIPS OF INNOVATION FOR THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND IN THIS ROLE I LEAD COLLABORATIONS ACROSS
PHILANTHROPY, HIGHER EDUCATION AND INDUSTRY TO DRIVE EQUITY INNOVATION AND REAL WORLD READINESS FOR OUR STUDENTS. BEFORE JOINING CENTRAL LEADERSHIP I WAS A TEACHER AND
HEAD OF SCHOOL AT BOSTON ARTS ACADEMY FOR MANY YEARS AND LATER SERVED AS AN ACTING REGIONAL SUPERINTENDENT. I'M VERY PROUD TO SAY THIS IS MY 28TH YEAR IN THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND I HAVE
ALWAYS HAD THE SAME PURPOSE ENSURING THAT BOSTON'S YOUNG PEOPLE ARE PREPARED NOT JUST TO GRADUATE BUT THRIVE. TODAY I AM HERE TO SHARE ONE
EXAMPLE OF THAT COMMITMENT A GROWING PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE GREATER BOSTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOUNDATION TO BRING FINANCIAL LITERACY TO OUR
STUDENTS. SO WHY FINANCIAL LITERACY? I THINK WE ALL ARE IN AGREEMENT THAT IT IS A CRUCIAL SKILL FOR OUR STUDENTS IN THE 2023 2024 SCHOOL YEAR.
THE JOINT BPC CHAMBER WORKFORCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE IDENTIFIED FINANCIAL LITERACY AS A CRITICAL AREA OF FOCUS AS WELL. THIS WAS NOT AN ABSTRACT
CONVERSATION. FAMILIES AND EMPLOYERS ALIKE ALL CAME TOGETHER AND RECOGNIZED THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE ENTERING A WORLD WHERE FINANCIAL DECISION MAKING IS
INSEPARABLE FROM OPPORTUNITY. WITHOUT THE SKILLS TO NAVIGATE CREDIT SAVINGS OR INVESTMENTS EVERYONE HAS UNDERSCORED TODAY. TOO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE RISK BEING HELD BACK BY PREVENTABLE OBSTACLES.
THE JOINT BEPS CHAMBER ADVISORY COMMITTEE CONVENED A FINANCIAL LITERACY WORKING GROUP BACK IN 2023 MADE UP OF BOTH FINANCIAL PROFESSIONALS AND EDUCATORS.
THAT GROUP WAS CHARGED WITH TWO OBJECTIVES. FIRST TO DEVELOP A SHARED VISION OF THE CORE FINANCIAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES WE WANT OUR
STUDENTS TO GAIN ACROSS THE K-12 SYSTEM. AND SECOND, TO STRENGTHEN DIRECT CONNECTIONS BETWEEN BPC CLASSROOMS AND BOSTON'S
FINANCIAL SERVICES SECTOR. BETWEEN JULY AND OCTOBER OF 2024, THE WORKING GROUP MET AND PRODUCED A SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR KEY
CONTENT AND SKILLS. OUR BPC CURRICULUM STAFF THEN MAPPED THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ONTO EXISTING COURSES THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE JUST DESCRIBED. IDENTIFYING WHERE THESE FINANCIAL CONCEPTS WERE ALREADY
PRESENT AND WHERE THEY COULD BE EXPANDED BY THE ADDITION OF FINANCIAL PROFESSIONALS. WITH THE CHAMBER FOUNDATION SUPPORT WE LAUNCHED A PILOT
PROGRAM LAST SCHOOL YEAR AND THREE HIGH SCHOOLS BRIGHTON O'BRYANT AND DEARBORN. AND THESE SCHOOLS FINANCIAL PROFESSIONALS PARTNERED WITH TEACHERS TO FACILITATE LESSONS
ON TOPICS SUCH AS CREDIT BUILDING AND USAGE, BASIC BANKING AND AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STOCK MARKET. THE GOAL WAS NOT TO REPLACE
CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION BUT TO ENRICH IT BRINGING INDUSTRY EXPERTISE DIRECTLY TO STUDENTS AND RELEVANT REAL WORLD WAYS. THIS SCHOOL YEAR WE ARE
BUILDING ON THAT PILOT. THE BOSTON CHAMBER CONTINUES TO CONNECT VOLUNTEERS TO BRIGHTON O'BRIEN AND DEARBORN AND WE ARE EXPANDING TO ADDITIONAL SCHOOLS BEGINNING SHORTLY FOR EXAMPLE
WITH BIANCA AND BOSTON GREEN ACADEMY. THE CHAMBER FOUNDATION HAS COMMITTED TO ENSURING AT LEAST ONE VOLUNTEER LED EXPERIENCE PER MONTH IN EACH PARTICIPATING
SCHOOL. TO PUT THAT IN NUMBERS, ONE VOLUNTEER SESSION PER MONTH TRANSLATES INTO ROUGHLY TEN SESSIONS PER YEAR WITH ABOUT 15 STUDENTS IN EACH SESSION.
THAT MEANS PARTICIPATING SCHOOL WILL REACH AT MINIMUM 150 SCHOOL STUDENTS ANNUALLY WITH FIVE SCHOOLS INVOLVED. THIS SCHOOL YEAR WE ANTICIPATE
REACHING ABOUT 750 STUDENTS AND OUR GROWTH PLAN IS AMBITIOUS TEN SCHOOLS AND 1500 STUDENTS IN SCHOOL YEAR 26, 27 AND 20 SCHOOLS AND 3000 STUDENTS BY
2728. THIS IS NOT JUST A MATTER OF ADDING SCHOOLS IT CAN ALSO MEAN DEEPENING OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN SCHOOLS OFFERING MORE SESSIONS AND INTEGRATING FINANCIAL LITERACY ACROSS
MULTIPLE GRADES AND SUBJECTS. WE KNOW THIS WORK HAS TO BE MEASURED NOT JUST ASSUMED. TOGETHER WITH THE BOSTON CHAMBER FOUNDATION WE ARE CONDUCTING BOTH QUANTITATIVE
AND QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENTS. THESE INCLUDES POST-EVENT FEEDBACK SURVEYS FROM VOLUNTEERS PRE AND POST SESSION SURVEYS FROM STUDENTS AND TREND
ANALYSIS TO TRACK WHETHER PARTICIPATING ARE MORE LIKELY TO PURSUE SUMMER JOBS, POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION IN BUSINESS OR FINANCE
APPRENTICESHIPS OR EARLY ENTRY INTO RELATED FIELDS. THIS FOOD FEEDBACK LOOP IS ESSENTIAL AND ENSURES THAT WE ARE NOT SIMPLY DELIVERING ONE
OFF LESSONS BUT RATHER BUILDING A COHERENT PATHWAY WHERE STUDENTS SEE FINANCIAL LITERACY AS BOTH THE LIFE SKILL AND A GATEWAY TO OPPORTUNITY. BEYOND THE VOLUNTEER
PARTNERSHIPS WE ARE WORKING AS MY COLLEAGUES HAVE OUTLINED TO LAUNCH A NEW ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. BUSINESS WITH PERSONAL FINANCE AS HAS BEEN SAID, THIS WILL
GIVE SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS NOT ONLY RIGOROUS PREPARATION BUT ACCESS TO CREDIT COLLEGE CREDIT IN A FIELD THAT IS DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT. CHAMBER VOLUNTEERS WERE SUPPORT
THESE CLASSES NEXT SCHOOL YEAR ENSURING THEY ARE ROOTED IN BOTH ACADEMIC RIGOR AND INDUSTRY RELEVANCE. FINALLY, OUR NEXT FRONTIER IS
ELEMENTARY EDUCATION. AS MY COLLEAGUE HAS OUTLINED, WE BELIEVE FINANCIAL LITERACY CAN START AND SHOULD START WITH OUR YOUNGER GRADES. WE ARE BEGINNING TO CONVENE ELEMENTS SCHOOLS TO IDENTIFY
WAYS FINANCIAL LITERACY COULD BE EXPANDED WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF FINANCIAL PROFESSIONALS. AND WE KNOW THE SOONER THE START THAT WE START THIS WORK, THE MORE WE NORMALIZE FINANCIAL
CONVERSATIONS AND BUILD CONFIDENCE IN OUR STUDENTS LONG BEFORE THEY FACE HIGH STAKES FINANCIAL DECISIONS. IN CLOSING. THIS PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOUNDATION IS ABOUT MORE THAN JUST LEARNING HOW TO BALANCE A CHECKBOOK OR UNDERSTAND IT CREDIT STORE. IT'S ABOUT EQUIPPING BOSTON'S
YOUNG PEOPLE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, BOSTON'S FUTURE WITH THE SKILLS, CONFIDENCE AND NETWORK AND NETWORKS TO TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR FUTURES. IT IS ABOUT SHOWING THEM THAT
OUR CITY'S BUSINESS COMMUNITY IS INVESTED IN THEM NOT AS FUTURE WORKERS ALONE BUT AS CITIZENS, LEADERS AND DECISION MAKERS ON BEHALF OF MY
COLLEAGUES AT THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I WANT TO THANK THE BOSTON CHAMBER. THE BOSTON CHAMBER FOUNDATION, ESPECIALLY MY COLLEAGUES MIKE
HOLLAND AND JESSICA SANON FOR ALL THEIR WORK AND ESPECIALLY ALL OF THE FINANCIAL PROFESSIONAL VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE STEPPED INTO CLASSROOM TO MAKE THIS INITIATIVE POSITIVE
POSSIBLE. I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE COUNCIL ESPECIALLY COUNCILOR SANTANA FOR CONVENING THIS HEARING AND FOR SHINING A LIGHT ON FINANCIAL LITERACY AND THE WAYS CROSS-SECTOR
PARTNERSHIPS CAN STRENGTHEN BOTH OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR CITY. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE REST OF THE HEARING. THANK YOU. REALLY APPRECIATE THE PANEL
THAT'S HERE WITH US TODAY. I JUST WANT TO START NOW THANKS TO THE LEAD SPONSORS FOR CONVENING US HERE TODAY. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO COUNCILOR QUESTIONS NOW. I'M STARTING WITH THE LEAD SPONSORS AND THEN WE'LL GO TO
COUNCILOR QUESTIONS IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL. ALSO WE HAVE A COMMUNITY PANEL WITH US TODAY SO I'M GOING TO KEEP QUESTIONS TO FIVE OR 6 MINUTES.
I'M GOING TO TRY TO SET UP THE BEEPER HERE. SO FLYNN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. AND THANK YOU TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL TEAM THAT IS HERE
PROVIDING EXCELLENT INFORMATION AND SUPPORT TO OUR STUDENTS. I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE CITY REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT AND STEPHEN WAYLAND AS WELL FOR
THE IMPORTANT WORK THEY ARE DOING FINANCIAL LITERACY. I MENTIONED THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EARLIER AND JIM
MORONEY SO I KNOW WE'RE MAKING IN EDUCATING YOUNG PEOPLE AND BHP'S IN D.C. IS KIND OF ENCOURAGING EVERYONE TO GET
FINANCIAL LITERACY LITERACY TRAINING BUT ARE WE ABLE TO HAVE A MANDATORY PROGRAM FOR EVERY STUDENT IN BPC SO THAT
THEY RECEIVE SOME TYPE OF FINANCIAL LITERACY? AND I KNOW THAT THE NUMBERS ARE IMPROVING GREATLY INCREASING GREATLY BUT IS THERE A WAY TO
HAVE IT MANDATED THAT WE ARE ABLE THAT WE SHOULD BE EDUCATING EVERY STUDENT ON FINANCIAL LITERACY? SO I KNOW CURRENTLY THE DC HAS CONVENED A HIGH SCHOOL
GRADUATION COUNCIL AND IN THEIR DISCUSSIONS AT THE STATE THEY'RE LOOKING AT HOW WE HAVE LIKE SYLLABI LITERACY SO STUDENTS CAN QUALIFY TO BECOME BI LITERATE. THEY'RE LOOKING AT OTHER
SCHOOLS NOT EXCLUSIVELY DE SEAL FOR FINANCIAL LITERACY BUT ALSO LIKE A SEAL FOR CIVICS. SO THERE COULD BE AN ENDORSEMENT OF A STUDENT GRADUATION REQUIREMENT THAT
THEY RECEIVE A SEAL. IN REGARDS TO GRADUATION WE HAVE WHAT OUR MASS CORE GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS AND IN THAT RIGHT NOW THAT BEEN APPROVED.
FINANCIAL LITERACY IS NOT ONE OF THE COURSES PER SE BUT I DO KNOW THAT THE STATE GRADUATION COUNCIL IS MOVING TO LOOKING AT ADOPTING SEAL PROCESS I KNOW THAT HAS BEEN ADOPTED IN OTHER
CITIES LIKE CHICAGO WHERE STUDENTS HAVE TO HAVE A REQUIREMENT OF FINANCIAL LITERACY BEFORE THEY GRADUATE. THANK YOU. I THINK OF THE HIGH SCHOOL KIDS
AS THEY'RE APPLYING TO COLLEGE BUT ALSO FILLING OUT THEIR APPLICATION FOR FINANCIAL AID. IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DO IT
ALONE AND IF YOUR PARENT OR YOUR GARDEN MAY HAVE LIMITED FINANCIAL LITERACY EDUCATION AS WELL. WHAT SUPPORT ARE WE ALSO
PROVIDING A PARENT OR GUARDIAN THAT COULD AND I KNOW I KNOW THE SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND GUIDANCE COUNSELORS ALSO HELP THE STUDENTS BUT HOW DO WE HELP
A PARENT TO HELP A GUARDIAN SO THAT THEIR CHILD CAN COMPLETE THESE FORMS BECAUSE THE FORMS ARE TOUGH? ABSOLUTELY. I ALWAYS SAY THAT THE
POST-SECONDARY PLANNING APPLICATION TRANSITION PROCESS IS A FAMILY PROCESS. IT'S A FAMILY DECISION. THIS UPCOMING OCTOBER IS OUR
COLLEGE AND CAREER MONTH INITIATIVE AND OUR CITY WIDE COLLEGE AND CAREER FAIR IS HAPPENING ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 18TH AT THE REGGIE LEWIS FROM 10 A.M. TO 1 P.M.
ONSITE. THERE IS ONE OF SEVERAL KIND OF FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION SUPPORT SESSIONS WE HAVE WHERE
FAMILIES CAN SIGN UP IN ADVANCE TO SIT WITH A FINANCIAL AID SPECIALIST OR EXPERT AND REALLY GO THROUGH THE MICRO STEPS OF THAT APPLICATION PROCESS
UNDERSTAND YOU KNOW, THE TUITION EQUITY LAW BEGIN THE MARCH BUT ALSO THE CLASSES OPENING ON OCTOBER ONE. RIGHT. THAT'S JUST ONE OPPORTUNITY FOR
FAMILIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. WE DO HAVE SOME ON SITE SESSIONS AT BOLLING WHERE WE YOU KNOW, PARTNER WITH OUR
PARTNER ARE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE YOU ASPIRE OR BE YOU PATH AND OTHER NONPROFITS TO BRING THE SUPPORT MORE OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY SPACES AND THIS YOU
KNOW DOES NOT INCLUDE ALL OF THE FINANCIAL AID NIGHTS THE EMBEDDED SUPPORTS THAT SCHOOLS ARE DOING OUTSIDE OF THE ACADEMIC DAY DURING THE COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY SEASON.
SO THERE'S MULTIPLE WAYS THAT WE ARE ENGAGING PARENTS AND WORKING TO BUILD THEIR AWARENESS AND SUPPORTING THEM AND THEIR YOUNG PERSON IN GOING THROUGH THE MICRO STEPS OF THE APPLICATION.
THAT'S GREAT AND GREAT TO KNOW. THANK YOU. MY FINAL QUESTION UM, SO SO YOUNG YOUNG STUDENTS ARE WORKING SOMETIMES AFTER SCHOOL
BUT MOST OF THEM ARE WORKING DURING THE SUMMERTIME THE SUMMER JOB. BUT WHAT TYPE OF FINANCIAL LITERACY THEY NEED TO KNOW IN TERMS OF COMPLETING THEIR TAXES
OR OPENING UP A BANKING OPENING UP THE BANKING ACCOUNT? CHECKING ON I SHOULD SAY A SAVINGS ACCOUNT. IS THAT PART OF THE PROCESS AS
WELL HELPING THEM NAVIGATE THAT THAT PROCESS? ONE OF THE AMAZING THINGS ABOUT OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE BOSTON PRIVATE INDUSTRY COUNCIL WHICH IS OUR CITY'S WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD IS
THAT WE HAVE PICKS CAREER SPECIALISTS IN THE MAJORITY OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS AND AS PART OF THE SUMMER JOBS APPLICATION INITIATIVE THERE IS A SPECIAL
TEST SITS WITH THE STUDENT AND REALLY HELPS THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE NUANCES OF ALL OF THAT AND THAT'S REALLY AN EXTENSION OF WHAT THEY MAY HAVE ALREADY LEARNED WITHIN A LESSON
ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR MCAP OR THROUGH EVERIFY OR SOME OTHER MECHANISM. RIGHT. SO THIS IS A CAREER SPECIALIST WHO WILL SIT WITH THEM TO HELP THEM TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO COMPLETE THE BANKING
INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR JOBS. AND YOU KNOW, THE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LOCAL AND FEDERAL TAXES. THANK YOU.
MY TIME IS JUST ABOUT UP. THANK YOU FOR TAKING MY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, COUNSELOR FLYNN. COUNSELOR MURPHY, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR AND AND THANK YOU FOR ALL
OF YOUR PRESENTATION IONS AND YOU TOUCHED ON, YOU KNOW, THE PARTNERSHIPS AND THE INITIATIVES AND HOW WE WANT TO EXPAND THAT.
IS THERE A DESIRE TO GET TO A PLACE WHERE IT IS A REQUIREMENT, RIGHT, THAT BP'S PIECE ISN'T LIKE WAITING FOR THE STATE OR D.C. TO ADD IT? YOU TALKED ABOUT TWO DOMAINS
AND THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, ADDED AS ONE OF THE, YOU KNOW, GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS WHEN YOU'RE SITTING AROUND THOSE TABLES, THESE CONVERSATIONS
COMING UP THAT WE WANT TO HAVE THIS AS A REQUIREMENT THAT NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, EXPOSURE AND THAT WE KNOW KIDS MAY ONE EXPOSURE MAY HAVE THREE OR FOUR
BUT THAT'S LIKE EXPOSURE TO VOLLEYBALL OR EXPOSURE TO SWIMMING. RIGHT. THAT YOU KNOW, SUCH A LIFE SKILL. I MEAN YOU NEED FINANCIAL LITERACY TO FOR QUALITY
OF LIFE, RIGHT? GOING FORWARD JUST LIKE YOU NEED FOOD AND WATER LIKE ARE WE AT A PLACE YET? I DON'T THINK WE ARE BUT HOW DO WE GET TO A PLACE IN BP WHERE WE ARE ADVOCATING FOR IT AND
WE'RE SUPPORTING YOUR ADVOCACY AND NOT WAITING FOR THE STATE WHICH WE KNOW LAGS BEHIND? OFTEN THERE HAVE BEEN CONVERSATIONS WHERE THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS MADE IT CLEAR THIS IS A PRIORITY.
I THINK ESPECIALLY WITH ANNE'S WORK AND WORKING WITH THE CHAMBER THERE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS ARE REQUIRED COURSE AND WHAT WOULD THAT TAKE ON THE
INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S NECESSARY? WHERE WOULD IT BE? WHAT GRADE LEVEL THAT AT THE TIME YOU KNOW THAT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE AN ON ON INSTRUCTION WITH OUR CORE CONTENT WHERE WOULD
THAT COURSE LIE? YOU MENTIONED A FEW TIMES THAT LIKE FALLS ON TO CIVICS BUT WOULD IT BE ECONOMICS MATH. SO IN THE HISTORY AND SOCIAL
STANDARDS FOR PERSONAL FINANCE FALLS UNDER SOCIAL SCIENCES YOU KNOW THERE'S THIS TEETER BETWEEN SOCIAL SCIENCE AS AN ECONOMICS MAJOR THE TEETER BETWEEN DOES YOUR ECONOMICS
DEPARTMENT FALL IN SOCIAL SCIENCES OR DOES IT FALL IN THE BUSINESS REALM RIGHT NOW WITH THE STANDARDS THAT FALLS UNDER SOCIAL SCIENCES? BUT THERE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE?
WOULD IT BE A QUARTER SEMESTER A SEMESTER OR WOULD IT BE MODULES THAT STUDENTS DO? BUT THAT HAS DEFINITELY BEEN SOMETHING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT DEFINITELY WITH AND AS
WELL IS LIKE WHAT'S THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN ORDER FOR THAT TO HAPPEN THROUGHOUT ALL OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS NO MATTER OF YOU KNOW, ALT ED SPACES, WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE FOR
ALL OUR STUDENTS? YES, THAT'S MY NEXT QUESTION LIKE WHO ARE THE KIDS BEING EXPOSED AND IT'S GREAT TO SEE NUMBERS ARE GOING UP FROM, YOU KNOW, SINGLE DIGIT OR 20% TO 45
CLOSE TO HALF. BUT WHAT HIGH SCHOOLS OR MIDDLE SCHOOLS ARE OFFERING LIKE WHO ARE THOSE STUDENTS? BECAUSE WE DO KNOW THAT IT'S
MOST CRITICAL FOR STUDENTS WHOSE FAMILIES MAY NOT HAVE THE SKILLS AT HOME TO TEACH THEIR KIDS AT HOME THAT WE'RE OFFERING IT TO ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, NOT JUST SOME OF THE ,YOU KNOW, OVERPERFORMING HIGH
SCHOOLS BECAUSE WE KNOW THERE'S A DRASTIC DIFFERENCE FROM THE EXPERIENCE KIDS GET DEPENDING ON WHICH HIGH SCHOOL THEY'RE PLACED OUT. AS IT PERTAINS TO MY CAP, MY
CAP IS OPERATIONAL IN ALL OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS AND DIPLOMA GRANTING PROGRAMS NOW DIFFERENT SCHOOLS AND DIFFERENT PLACES WITH OPERATIONAL ADVISING ALL OF THE EXPERIENCES.
RIGHT. SO SOME SCHOOLS MAY BE ABLE TO OPERATIONALIZE THE PERSONAL SOCIAL OR THE CAREER DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCES BUT MAY
NOT GET TO THE FINANCIAL LITERACY EXPERIENCE. SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THAT'S A BAILABLE ACROSS ALL OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS BUT IT'S NOT BEING OPERATIONALIZED AND
THAT'S WHERE WE GET IT. WE'RE WORKING EVERY HIGH SCHOOL KID COULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A FINANCIAL LITERACY OPPORTUNITY AND WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? IS IT THE PROGRAM THAT I KNOW
WE'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT SAY THROUGH CITY KIDS THAT'S OFFERED AT EAST BOSTON HIGH IS THAT TYPE OF PROGRAM OFFERED FOR EVERY STUDENT AND AS WELL EVERY STUDENT HAS ACCESS TO THE
FINANCIAL LITERACY EXPERIENCE IN MY CAP WHETHER THAT'S ACTIVATED THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP OR THROUGH EVER FIND OUT WHO IS GOING TO THE PUBLIC LISTENING LIKE YOU. WHAT THAT MEANS IS IF YOU HAVE
SO AS PART OF THEIR SCOPE AND SEQUENCE THAT IS MADE AVAILABLE BUT THE SCHOOL HAS TO ACTIVATE THE EXPERIENCE AND SO THERE ARE SOME SCHOOLS THAT MAY NOT BE IN A POSITION TO ACTIVATE THAT
EXPERIENCE AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON. COULD YOU AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THAT'S FORMER TEACHER, A MOM OF A KID WHAT MY CAP IS BUT
COULD YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THAT MEANS THEN FOR A STUDENT WHO HAS IT HAS THIS OPPORTUNITY THROUGH MY CAP? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? YEAH. SO MY CAP IS A SELF-DIRECTED
MULTIYEAR LIKE COLLEGE AND CAREER PLANNING ADVISING PROCESS AND SO MY CAP IS DELIVERED AT THE CLASSROOM LEVEL AND THE TEACHER IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH MAYBE A COUNSELOR, A COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION GO INTO THE CLASSROOM STRUCTURE AND DELIVER A LESSON PLAN, A WORKSHOP, AN
EXPERIENCE EVEN THOUGH THE THE MY CAP ACTIVITY IS A PART OF THE STUDENT'S SCOPE AND SEQUENCE IF THE SCHOOL IS NOT ABLE TO ACTIVATED THE STUDENT IS NOT ABLE TO ENGAGE.
SO WHICH SCHOOLS ARE ACTIVATING THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR KIDS? I CAN GET YOU THE DATA ON THE SPECIFIC SCHOOLS I DON'T HAVE TO BREAK DOWN ON LIKE WHICH WE WOULD REALLY? YEAH BECAUSE WE CAN
CONVERSATION IS ABOUT LIKE WHO IS BEING OFFERED THAT MM THE OPPORTUNITY MAY KIND OF BE THERE BUT MANY SCHOOLS ARE NOT
AT A PLACE WHERE THEY'RE ABLE TO EVEN CONSIDER FINANCIAL LITERACY IS ONE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES IS AND THAT TRUE
SO I'M SORRY IS THAT AGAIN IS IT TRUE THAT MANY STUDENTS AND BEEPS ARE IN OUR HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOMS, ARE MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSROOMS I DON'T LIKE YOU SHARED ONE OF MY FAVORITE
KINDERGARTEN BOOKS AS YOUR NEVER TO OLD OR YOUNG TO START THIS FINANCIAL LITERACY BUT MANY OF OUR STUDENTS AND BEEPS ARE IN SCHOOLS WHO ARE NOT
BEING OFFERED OPPORTUNITIES FOR FINANCIAL LITERACY. SO I WOULD SAY THAT THE OPPORTUNITY IS THERE. I CAN SPEAK FOREVER PHI IN
PARTICULAR AND I HAVE THAT SCHOOLS I HAVE TO LOOK IT UP ON MY COMPUTER STUDENTS ARE PUT THE SCHOOLS ARE PROVIDED THE OPPORTUNITY I THINK IT HAPPENS IN DIFFERENT METHODOLOGIES
THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL. SO WE HAVE SOME SCHOOLS THAT ACTUALLY TEACH A PERSONAL FINANCE COURSE. WE HAVE SOME SCHOOLS WHO DO A PERSONAL FINANCE DAY. WE HAVE SOME SCHOOLS THAT ARE
LIKE IT'S ABOUT TO BE WINTER BREAK STUDENTS ARE YOU KNOW THIS A LITTLE DIFFICULT TIME. HEY HOW ABOUT WE DO SOME MODULES AND CLASSES OVER TODAY ?
LET'S DO SOME MODULES SO IT'S THE ENGAGEMENT IS VERY DIFFERENT THROUGHOUT. I JUST WOULD WANT TO CHECK OFF A BOX AND SAY THAT STUDENTS AT A CERTAIN SCHOOL HAVE BEEN GIVEN FINANCIAL LITERACY
BECAUSE THERE WAS A FINANCIAL LITERACY DAY THIS MANY I MEAN WE HAVE CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM YOU COULD BE A STUDENT WHO WAS ABSENT THAT DAY WHICH MEANS YOU NEVER GOT ANY EXPOSURE.
WELL, I KNOW THE SCHOOL THAT DOES THE DAY ALSO DOES THAT EVERIFY. SO IT'S ACTUALLY A DAY WHERE THEY HAVE STUDENTS WHO COME AND ACTUALLY SHARE WHAT THEIR EXPERIENCES HAVE BEEN AND THEY
HAVE PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT COME AND TALK ABOUT JOB READINESS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. IT'S DONE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE OTHER PIECES THAT ARE HAPPENING BUT I'M SAYING THAT IT HAPPENS THROUGH DIFFERENT
METHODOLOGIES THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL BUT WE HAVE DATA ON THE EVERIFY USAGE AND WHAT SCHOOLS ARE UTILIZING IT AND WHICH ACTUAL MODULES THEY'VE COMPLETED. IT GIVES US DATA ON WHAT THE
COMPLETION IS, THE AMOUNT OF TIME YOU SPENT ON THE MODULE SO WE CAN PROVIDE THAT TO YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNSELOR MURPHY ALSO PREPARED YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
THANK YOU, MR CHAIR AND THINKING TO THE PANELISTS FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND FOR THE AMAZING WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE SO FAR, I WAS VERY, VERY GLAD TO HEAR THAT THE PERCENTAGE OF THE FRESHMEN IS GETTING ANY
FINANCIAL LITERACY CLASS WENT FROM A 9% TO ALMOST 30% OR 5 TO 30. THAT'S GREAT. THAT'S THAT'S A HUGE JUMP AND IT JUST SHOWS THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE. AND I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT THAT
WE NEED TO HAVE A FOLLOW UP HEARING EVEN AFTER THIS ONE TO HEAR THE RESULTS OF WHAT COMES OUT OF THE THE DC REQUIREMENTS OR WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO WORK ON.
YES, IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO THE CONTINUED SUCCESS OF THIS PROGRAM. MY QUESTION TO YOU ALL IS I ALWAYS HAVE CONCERNS WHEN I HAVE CONCERNS WITH THE
LEADERSHIP OF THE SCHOOLS BUT WHEN WE ALLOW THE SCHOOLS TO CHOOSE WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO WITH THE PROGRAMS THEY CAN CHOOSE DIFFERENT BANK, THEY CAN CHOOSE A DIFFERENT FINANCIAL ADVISOR. HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT I DON'T
KNOW LET'S SAY SCHOOL A'S, SCHOOL B THEY GET TO CHOOSE THE ONLY THING THAT THEY BOTH HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF QUALITY OF OF OF EDUCATION TO THEIR STUDENTS
SO THAT THIS THE STUDENTS AT T AT SCHOOL THEY ARE NOT MISSING OUT WHAT THE STUDENTS ARE LEARNING AT SCHOOL B NO HOW DO YOU MONITOR THAT? YEAH SO WITH THE MY CAP SCOPE
IN SEQUENCE WE HAVE CLEARLY ARTICULATED OBJECTIVES LET'S TO LEARNING OBJECTIVES THAT EVERY GRADE LEVEL SHOULD HAVE AND THE
SCHOOL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FINANCIAL LITERACY PROVIDER OR WHETHER THAT'S PI HAS TO ALIGN THAT EXPERIENCE OR LESSON TO THOSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND
STANDARDS AND SO THAT'S KIND OF LIKE THE COMMON THREAD ACROSS THE BOARD THAT ENSURES THAT THEIR EXPERIENCE IS RESULTING IN OUR DOES OUR
SHARED DESIRE FOR WHAT WE HOPE FOR THEM TO LEARN THAT PARTICULAR YEAR. OKAY. AND DO YOU HAVE LIKE DO YOU HAVE LIKE A LIST OF PROGRAMS THAT SCHOOLS CAN CHOOSE FROM? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL
RIGHT? YES, I CAN DEFINITELY SEE AND THIS ON OUR PUBLIC MY MY MY KOREAN ACADEMIC PLANNING PAGE IF YOU LOOK AT THE MY CAP SCOPE AND SEQUENCE BUT WE WILL WORK TO GET THAT OVER TO YOU FOR
SURE. OKAY, GOOD. I WAS ABLE TO LOOK THAT UP REALLY QUICKLY? YEAH. YEAH. THERE. YEAH, THAT'S VERY HELPFUL.
AND THEN WHEN IT COMES TO THE YOU SAID THE OBJECTIVES RIGHT IS THAT ALSO SOMETHING THAT'S PUBLIC LIKE I WOULD I'M THIS IS ME JUST BEING CURIOUS LIKE WHAT ARE THE STUDENTS LEARNING IN FRESHMAN YEAR OR SOPHOMORE YEAR
JUNIOR OR SENIOR YEAR I WOULD LOVE TO TO TO SEE THAT IF THAT'S ABSOLUTELY ON SCOPE AND SEQUENCE THE OBJECTIVES ARE CLEARLY ARTICULATED ACROSS THE DOMAINS. I WILL MAKE SURE YOU GET THE
EXACT LINK TO THAT RESOURCE THAT I'M REFERENCING AND IT'S IT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. OKAY THAT'S THAT'S GREAT AND I KNOW THAT OUR PERCENTAGES
CONTINUE TO INCREASE AND I THINK I FORGET WHICH COUNSELOR WAS THE ONE THAT ALLUDED TO THIS BUT DO YOU I THINK IT WAS COUNSELOR MURPHY DO YOU EVER THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO GET TO A POINT WHERE
IT'S ALMOST EVERY SENIOR IS GOING TO BE OR EVERY HIGH SCHOOL IS GOING TO GET SOME TYPE OF FINANCIAL LITERACY CLASS? I DO. AND THE REASON BEING IS BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR SCHOOLS ARE AND
I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE FACT THAT I'M SEEING A SHIFT IN MINDSET OF HOW THEY ARE SHARING IN THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE STUDENTS CAREER AND ACADEMIC
PLANNING THAT IS NOT JUST A RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SCHOOL COUNSELOR IS ONE THAT SHARED WITH CORE CONTENT TEACHERS PATHWAY COORDINATORS ARE PARTNERS AND OUR ADMINISTRATORS
AND OUR LEADERS ARE SETTING THE CONDITIONS FOR THAT. SO I AM DEFINITELY HOPEFUL THAT THIS YEAR WE WILL START TO SEE LIKE PERCENTAGES IN THE
NINETIES A COMPLETION FOR THE FINANCIAL LITERACY MODULE. WOW SO THANK YOU FOR THAT AND I THINK THAT THIS IS WHAT PROGRESS LOOKS LIKE. I THINK THAT WHEN WHEN WE TRY
INITIATIVES LIKE THIS AND WE START TO SEE THESE NUMBERS ACTUALLY COMING TO FRUITION, THE INCREASED PERCENTAGES OF STUDENTS RECEIVING THESE CURRICULUMS, I THINK THAT WE'RE FINALLY HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE
WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING. I'M GOING TO DIVE INTO THE MY CAREER THERE MY CAREER AND ACADEMIC PLANNING WEBSITE AND DO SOME DIGGING BUT AND CHECK OUT THE VIDEOS LIKE THE STUDENTS BRING TO LIFE THE EXPERIENCE.
OKAY THAT'S GREAT. NOW I WAS OVER AT NEW MISSION HIGH SCHOOL THIS MORNING DOING COLLEGE ESSAY TUTORING AND JUST BEING ABLE TO LEARN FROM THEM WHAT THEY WERE LEARNING. IT WAS OH IT'S ALWAYS BETTER TO LEARN FROM THE STUDENTS THAN
FROM THE TEACHERS AND THE ADVISORS ETC. SO THAT WAS GREAT. I WANT TO THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO EXCUSE MYSELF I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO MY DAUGHTER'S OPEN HOUSE TODAY SO I'M GOING TO ANOTHER SCHOOL WHERE I FEEL
LIKE I'M ALWAYS OUT OF SCHOOL. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH WORK YOU DO ENCOUNTER SANTANA THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS HERE. THANK YOU COUNSELOR EPIPEN. I ALSO FAILED TO ACKNOWLEDGE EARLIER THAT WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT LUCY
LOUIJEUNE. NEXT UP WE HAVE COUNCILOR WARREN AT THE FLOOR. THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION ALSO JUST WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO NIZZOLO ALL THE WORK THAT YOU
DO WITH THE REALITY FAIR I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF VISITING THE BRCK AND I SAW SO MANY OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE SO ENGAGED AND THEN JUST BEING SO SHOCKED THAT 70,000 OR $60,000 DOESN'T
REALLY GO THAT FAR. SO IT IS DEFINITELY A A GREAT EXPERIENCE, A GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO NOT ONLY UNDERSTAND HOW TO BUDGET BUT YOU KNOW, TRY TO
ACHIEVE TO GO AND GET THOSE HIGH PAYING JOBS AND DO THEIR BEST IN SCHOOL. ALSO SHOUT OUT TO ROY'S WHO DOES A LOT OF THIS WORK AS WELL
ROY'S VILLE AND THEN ALSO CHANNEL TWO CITIZENS BANK WHO WAS ABLE TO GO WITH US I THINK IT WAS TO THE BANK AGAIN TO HELP OUR SENIORS ENROLL AND TO
SAVINGS ACCOUNTS AND AND ALSO GIVE, YOU KNOW, BASICS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF SAVINGS AND WHY TO ESTABLISH A SAVINGS ACCOUNT AT AT THEIR LOCAL AT THEIR
LOCAL BANK AND THEN ALSO A BIG SHOUT OUT TO BANK MY EASTERN BANK AND YOUTHBUILD AND RICK AT THE MATTAPAN TEEN CENTER MY OFFICE AND SHOUT OUT TO ABDULLAH BECKETT FOR THIS WE
WAS ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER A POWER PITCH COMPETITION. A LOT OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE SO INTERESTED IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP SO THIS GAVE
THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A BUSINESS PLAN AND THEN PITCH THAT BUSINESS PLAN TO THEIR FRIENDS, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND A PANEL OF JUDGES
AND THEN THEY WERE AWARDED YOU KNOW, I THINK WE SPLIT IT UP EVENLY THAT MOST PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO BE ONE FIRST PLACE WINNERS. MY QUESTION AROUND IS ART IS
AROUND ENTREPRENEURSHIP. I KNOW MAYBE IT IS AROUND FINANCIAL LITERACY, MAYBE IT ISN'T. BUT SO MANY OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ,YOU KNOW, ASPIRE OR WANT TO BE ENTREPRENEURS IS THAT WOVEN
INTO ANY OF OUR FINANCIAL LITERACY CURRICULUM? SORRY YEAH I'M JUST LOOKING AT
MY DATA. WE CURRENTLY HAVE 514 STUDENTS WHO ARE ENGAGED IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP OF COURSE IN THE DISTRICT THAT COULD BE AN ONLINE COURSE OR SOMETHING THAT
THEY'RE DOING AS PART AS THEIR PATHWAY PROGRAMING OUT OF SCHOOL. THERE ARE VENTURE WHICH IS AN ENTREPRENEURSHIP EXPEDITION AND EVER FIVE WHICH HAS STUDENTS
LOOK AT A FOOD TRUCK AND THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE OVERHEAD IN REGARDS TO THE FOOD TRUCK AND HOW TO BUDGET FOR YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT IS ENCOMPASSING
OF DEVELOPING SOMETHING AND HAVING YOUR OWN BUSINESS AND FOOD AND AND UTILITIES AND ALL OF THAT IS REQUIRED OF THAT. SO THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR
STUDENTS TO ENGAGE WITH IT. IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT BUT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH EITHER COURSEWORK OR THROUGH THE EVERIFY MODULES TO HAVE THE ENTREPRENEURIAL EXPERIENCE.
AWESOME. AND IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS ARE ALL OF THEM HAVE A CAREER SPECIALIST. I KNOW A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE SUMMER JOBS WHEN THEY MEET
WITH THEIR CAREER SPECIALIST IS LIKE WHAT ARE THE TASKS LIKE WHAT ARE THEIR CAREER SPECIALISTS ENCOURAGING OUR STUDENTS TO DO? ARE THEY ENCOURAGING THEM TO OPEN UP A BANK ACCOUNT?
ARE THEY ENCOURAGING THEM TO START A MAYBE IT MIGHT BE TOO EARLY BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY TO START A YOU KNOW, A41K OR INVESTMENT PLAN BECAUSE I THINK ABOUT I KNOW I
DON'T KNOW IF EVERYONE KNOWS THE STORY OF ALLEN IVERSON. YOU KNOW HE SPENT SO MUCH MONEY BUT IN HIS CLAUSE WITH REEBOK THEY THEY PUT TOGETHER A LITTLE
TRUST BUT HE COULDN'T SPEND UNTIL HE WAS 55 YEARS OLD. SO AT THAT AFTER HIS LONG CAREER AND HE WAS QUOTE UNQUOTE BROKE, HE HAD LIKE THINK LIKE
$30 MILLION THERE. I MEAN SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, IT'S EASY TO SAY DON'T TOUCH YOUR SAVINGS BUT IT'S HARDER TO TOUCH YOUR 41K RIGHT. SO LIKE WHAT ARE THE TASKS THAT
OUR CAREER SPECIALISTS ARE KIND OF PUSHING, YOU KNOW, OUR STUDENTS TO DO? SO THE PRIMARY TASK THAT CAREER SPECIALISTS ARE ENGAGING STUDENTS IN IS JUST THE
MULTIPLE STEPS IN THE JOB APPLICATION PROCESS. OKAY. AND THEY ARE EMBEDDED AS CORE FACILITATOR OF ANYTHING ASSOCIATED WITH OUR CAREER
DEVELOPMENT DOMAIN WITHIN THE MCAP SO A LOT OF WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AROUND UNDERSTANDING AROUND FOR ONE K'S AND YOU KNOW COMPLETELY OPENING UP A BANK ACCOUNT
VERSUS GOING TO THE CHECK CASHING STATION THEY HELP STUDENTS IN SENSE MAKING AROUND LIKE THE BENEFITS OR THE PROS
OF OPENING UP A BANK ACCOUNT AND THE SPECIFICS AROUND THAT AND ALSO TRYING TO GET A SENSE OF LIKE WHAT IS THE FAMILY SITUATION THAT CAN SUPPORT THE
STUDENT IN THAT PROCESS. AGAIN, THAT'S A FAMILY JOURNEY RIGHT AS WELL SIMILAR TO THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS, RIGHT? YEAH I GET IT AND ANY DATA
AROUND DO WE HAVE ANY DATA AROUND HOW MANY OF OUR STUDENTS WHO HAVE SUMMER JOBS HAVE A BANK ACCOUNT OR I DON'T THINK THAT'S DATA WE ACTUALLY COLLECT
BUT WHAT WE CAN DO IS CIRCLE BACK WITH OUR THE BOSTON PRIVATE INDUSTRY COUNCIL AND SEE IF THERE ARE OTHER DATA THAT CAN KIND OF INDICATE THAT
THAT ACTIVITY OR THAT OUTCOME ALL RIGHT. YES, BOTH AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK. I WROTE DOWN THE BOOK AS A CHAIR FOR MY MOTHER.
AND WHAT WAS THE OTHER TWO BOOKS? YES. SORRY. RAINBOW WEAVER RAINBOW AND A CHAIR FOR MY MOTHER WEAVER AND THAT'S JUST TWO OF THEM. THERE'S OTHER STORIES WHERE
THEY INTERWEAVE THE FINANCIAL LITERACY CONVERSATIONS WITH KATA AND I BELIEVE SECOND GRADE. AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, COUNSELOR.
WELL, I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNSELOR HERE WHO IS ALSO A LEAD SPONSOR IN THE STARGATE. NEXT UP WE HAVE COUNSELOR FITZGERALD.
YOU HAVE THE FLORIDA CHAMBER. SO THANK YOU, CHIP. JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEING HERE. OBVIOUSLY ONE OF MY QUESTIONS WAS HOW DO WE MAKE IT PART OF THE REGULAR CURRICULUM? I THINK THAT'S BEEN ASKED
SEVERAL TIMES NOW AND UNDERSTANDING THAT WORKING ON IT WE'RE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS WHEN AGE SO IT'S GREAT TO HEAR THOSE ANSWERS. WHAT DO WE THINK IN THIS? I DON'T KNOW IF THIS MAYBE FOR
THE SECOND PANEL OR NOT BUT WHAT ARE BANKS ROLES IN THE EDUCATION IN TODAY FINANCIAL LITERACY AND SECOND TO THAT IS THERE ANYTHING THAT IS DUPLICATIVE IN NATURE IN TERMS
OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO THAT IF YOU ALL HAD THAT COULD WAVE A WAND THAT MIGHT STREAMLINE ANYTHING? I'M SAYING OH, THE BANKS ARE DOING THIS AND THAT'S GREAT AND BP'S IS DOING THIS AND THAT'S GREAT. AND THERE'S ANOTHER, YOU KNOW,
AGENCY HERE DOING THAT AND THAT'S GREAT. BUT HOW IS IT ALL COORDINATED IN ONE? I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S TOO COMPLICATED TO ANSWER AT THE MOMENT, BUT WHAT WOULD THAT WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE?
AND YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE DOING TODAY AND WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE TO MAKE IT ALL STREAMLINED AND COORDINATED? THE SUPERINTENDENT OFTEN SAYS IT TAKES A VILLAGE BUT IT TAKES
A FOCUSED AND ALIGNED VILLAGE AND PART OF WHAT OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BOSTON CHAMBER BOSTON CHAMBER FOUNDATION IS ABOUT IS PROVIDING THAT FOCUS AND THAT
ALIGNMENT. BOSTON IS FORTUNATE TO HAVE A NUMBER OF FANTASTIC PARTNERS, SOME OF WHOM WE'VE MENTIONED AND I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME
OF THEM WILL BE REPRESENTED IN THE SECOND PANEL. WE WELCOME ALL OF THEIR INVOLVEMENT AND THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE BP AND THE CHAMBER
IS A WAY OF MAKING SURE THAT THOSE WHO WISH TO SUPPORT THE SCHOOLS HAVE AN EASY ENTRY INTO THE SCHOOLS, HAVE SOME SUPPORT WITH KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT.
PERSONAL CONNECTION WITH THE TEACHER TEACHER HAS A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE PARTNER AND ALSO AND FRANKLY A SUPPORT WITH A TOPIC
THAT THEY MAY NOT AS FEEL COMFORTABLE FEELS COMFORTABLE TEACHING WITHOUT THE SUPPORT FROM A PARTNER. AND SO WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT MANY OF OUR MAJOR BANK
INSTITUTES HAVE BEEN PART OF THAT PARTNERSHIP AND AND AS HAS MY COLLEAGUES HAVE REFERENCED HAVE ALSO DONE A NUMBER OF INITIATIVES ON THEIR OWN.
SO OUR GOAL IS TO AGAIN PROVIDE THAT FOCUS AND THAT ALIGNMENT SO ANYONE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO WOULD LIKE TO BE PART OF SUPPORTING STUDENTS FINANCIAL LITERACY HAVE AN EASY
ON RAMP AND THE WAY TO DO THAT IS TO EMAIL ME AT A CLERK NO NUMBERS A CLERK A CLERK AT BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS DOT ORG
GREAT THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND THEN IN CONTINUING THE FINANCIAL LITERACY EDUCATION EVEN PAST HIGH SCHOOL ARE WE LOOKING AT OR IS THERE ANY
CONNECTION TO SAY NOT FOCUSED SO MUCH ON THE EDUCATION PART OF IT BECAUSE I THINK THAT WOULD CONTINUE ON IF YOU IF YOU GO ON TO HIGHER ED AND CHOOSING YOUR MAJOR AND THINGS LIKE THAT BUT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL IS THERE
CONNECTIONS TO ANY OTHER COMPANIES OR SERVICES IF PEOPLE ARE DOING THEIR FINANCIAL LITERACY OR HAVE AN ENTREPRENEURIAL IDEA THAT THEN CAN CONNECT THEM ON AND APPLY
THAT FINANCIAL LITERACY THAT THEY LEARNED? RIGHT BECAUSE CONTINUING EDUCATION IT WILL NOT A HIGHER ED WILL NOT HAPPEN FOR EVERYBODY IN THIS CITY BUT HOW DO WE CONNECT THEM IF THEY DO
GRAVITATE TOWARDS IT OR GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF IT AND WANT TO DO MORE? HOW CAN WE CONNECT THEM TO THE SERVICES GOING HOW TO START THEIR OWN SMALL BUSINESS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND THE NEEDS FOR THAT?
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THAT. I'M I'M WRITING IT DOWN AS AN INTERESTING IDEA THAT WE COULD AND THE THE THE POINT OF HAVING THESE STAND IN RELATIONSHIPS WITH VERY IMPORTANT
INSTITUTIONS IN THE CITY LIKE THE CHAMBER IS THAT WE CAN RAISE THESE KINDS OF QUESTIONS AND PILOT POTENTIAL MODELS. SO THANK YOU FOR THE IDEA. NOW IF ANYTHING THAT COMES OUT OF THIS, THE BEST PART OF THESE
HEARINGS IS NEW IDEAS THAT CAN COME OUT AND POTENTIALLY BE PUT IN ACTION AND I THINK IF THAT'S ALL WE GET OUT OF IT THEN WE'VE WE'VE DONE A SMALL STEP OF OUR JOB. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. THAT WOULD IN MY QUESTIONS AND
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR FITZGERALD COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU MR CHAIR AND THANK YOU TO THE SPONSORS FOR THIS HEARING.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO DEVELOP I'M DOING MY FIRST JOB HERE AS A KID IN THE CITY BUS AND I REMEMBER THAT IT WAS CULTURALLY LIKE SOMETHING THAT
WE DID WHEN WE GOT OUR CHECKS WE WENT TO THE CHECK CASHERS LIKE THAT WAS JUST LIKE PART OF THE CULTURE OF WHAT WE DID BECAUSE THAT'S HOW YOU CAN GET YOUR MONEY AND THAT'S HOW YOU CAN GET YOUR MONEY FAST.
AND I'M WONDERING IF THERE IS A WAY TO EMBED FINANCIAL LITERACY INTO OUR YOUTH JOBS. IT'S OUR SUMMER YOUTH JOBS PROGRAM SO THAT AS OR IT DOES
IT ALREADY EXIST SO THAT WHEN OUR YOUNG KIDS GET A JOB WITH THE CITY OF BOSTON THROUGH THE SUCCESS LINK THAT THERE'S A REQUIREMENT THAT THEY SIT DOWN AND TAKE A FINANCIAL LITERACY
CLASS ANYTHING LIKE YOU KNOW HOW TO OPEN UP A BANK RIGHT BECAUSE HOW TO HAVE A SAVINGS ACCOUNT LIKE THAT EVEN IF I HAD KNOWN AT THE AGE OF 14 THE
TRADE OFF BETWEEN A CHECK CASHING PLACE THAT IS NOT WHERE YOU SHOULD GO BECAUSE THEY TAKE LIKE A SUBSTANTIAL CUT OF YOUR CHECK AND YOU KNOW, TAKE TAKE
YOUR CHECK, DEPOSIT IT WAIT THEM ON THE TIME NECESSARY FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO GET IT. AND NOW I JUST THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE REALLY BENEFICIAL TO OUR YOUNG KIDS. SO DO WE DO ANY OF THAT DOES ANYONE KNOW THAT IS SOMETHING
WE CAN DEFINITELY FOLLOW UP ON WITH THE FUTURE BOSS ECOSYSTEM AT BARE MINIMUM THROUGH THE WORK THAT WE DO WITH THE BOSTON PRIVATE INDUSTRY COUNCIL AROUND
JOB READINESS THERE ARE EMBEDDED CONVERSATIONS IN OUR ADVISING STRUCTURE AROUND THE BENEFITS OF OPENING A BANK
ACCOUNT VERSUS ACCESSING THESE CHECK CREDIT. SOME SOME OF THEM ARE PREDATORY CHECK CASHING BUSINESSES WHICH I WAS WAS IT THEY'RE ALL
PREDATOR YEAH I DON'T WANT TO YEAH BUT I WASN'T PAYING THEM TO THEM AS WELL BECAUSE NOT KNOWING AND NO I MEAN WHEN YOU LOOK AT BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES LIKE THEY ARE A
DIME A DOZEN ON A CORNER WRITE CHECKS CASHED IN SO IT'S LIKE IT'S YEAH BUT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS SOMETHING MORE SYSTEMIC WHERE WE CAN DOCUMENT
THAT THE STUDENT ACTUALLY GOT THIS MORE UNIFORMED WAY AND SOMETHING THAT MAY BE CAN BE EITHER ACTIVATED ON THE FRONT
END OR AS THEY'RE TRANSITIONING INTO THEIR EMPLOYMENT MAYBE A WAY SOMETHING THAT EMPLOYERS CAN PARTNER WITH US TO ACTIVATE ON THEIR END AS WELL.
BUT THAT'S A REALLY GREAT SYSTEM AND I WONDER IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT OH I WAS JUST SAYING I'M WRITING IT DOWN. YEAH THAT WE DO HAVE REGULAR
PLANNING MEETINGS WITH FUTURE BOSS TEAM AND I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT CREDENTIALING CERTAIN SKILLS SO THE CONVERSATION IS DEFINITELY
UNDERWAY BUT I CAN CONVEY YOUR YOUR YOUR INTEREST IN THAT AND I KNOW THE CHAIRS LET A LOT IN TERMS LIKE OUR YOUTH JOBS AND OUR SUMMER JOBS PROGRAM FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. SO I MEAN I JUST THINK THAT IN TERMS OF TAKING IT BACK THE EMPLOYER ITSELF ESPECIALLY IF
IT'S LIKE A BANK OR STATE STREET OF COURSE THEY CAN DO IT BUT FOR US TO OWN IT I THINK IT WOULD BE BECAUSE THEY ALL COME THROUGH US RIGHT. AND IF WE COULD JUST OWN IT AS LIKE OKAY HERE IS THE ORIENT IF
YOU'RE A FUTURE BOSS KID HERE IS ORIENTATION PROGRAM OF BEING PART OF SUCCESS LINK AND ONE OF THOSE IS A FINANCIAL COMPONENT. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT?
WHY IT LIKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BIG ACCOUNT AND AN OUTRIGHT CASH CASHLESS PLACE? WHY YOU WANT TO AVOID AND WE HAVE A CONSUMER FINANCIAL DEPARTMENT AND CONSUMER FINANCE APPROPRIATENESS REPORTS AND I THINK THAT THE BASICS NOT EVEN
THE THINGS THAT I, I HONESTLY WOULD HOPE THAT OUR KIDS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE COMES WITH THEM ABOUT OPENING AN IRA AND A ROTH IRA. I THINK THAT BEFORE WE EVEN START THOSE LIKE THE BASICS
OF LIKE DO YOU HAVE A BIG ACCOUNT OPEN TO DEPOSIT YOUR CHECK IN WHEN YOU GET PAID? I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT AND THAT'S FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. BUT THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT. I DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER
QUESTIONS. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DOING WITH MY COLLEAGUES FOR THE ADVOCACY I DO WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS AS I DON'T I CAN'T REMEMBER EVER TAKING A FINANCIAL LITERACY COURSE.
I WENT TO BOSTON LAND SCHOOL. I DON'T KNOW FROM MY EXPERIENCE LIKE IT DOESN'T IT IT WASN'T DEPENDENT ON THE LIKE THE WITH THE TYPE OF SCHOOL THAT
PROBABLY THE SCHOOL YOU WENT TO WE JUST WE HAD NO EXPOSURE TO IT AND SO I'M HOPING THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT BECOMES STANDARD AT ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL PRESIDENT I KNOW THAT EVEN YOU TALKED ABOUT SUMMER
JOBS. IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT THAT THEY DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IT DURING ORIENTATION BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE SETTING UP OUR STUDENTS TO ACTUALLY HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE THINGS. IT'S MORE MENTIONED AND ENCOURAGED BUT THAT'S SOMETHING
THAT WE CAN DEFINITELY BRING UP TO PEDRO AND HIS TEAM AS WELL. GREAT. NEXT UP WE HAVE COUNCILOR MEJIA YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, CHAIR. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING
HERE. SO I WAS TRYING TO LOOK SMART, YOU KNOW, BUT I AM SMART TO TRY TO FORGET THAT. BUT I SO I'M EXCITED TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AND I WAS A
BIG STUDENT. I HAD THREE JOBS WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL AND I HAD TO LEARN HOW TO BALANCE THE BUDGET BECAUSE IT WAS ME AND MY MOM AND WE HAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE WERE GOING TO MAKE ENDS MEET AND I STILL HAVE MY JOURNAL
FROM WHEN I OWE MY COUSIN $20 AND I HAD TO PAY THIS. AND SO INSTINCTUALLY I HAD TO LEARN THOSE SKILLS BECAUSE IT WAS A PART OF MY SURVIVAL, RIGHT? AND NO ONE WAS TELLING ME HOW TO BALANCE THE BUDGET.
I JUST HAD TO DO IT. AND SO I THINK THAT WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH MONEY THEN YOU HAVE A BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH HOW YOU MANAGE YOUR MONEY. AND I THINK THAT OFTENTIMES
IT'S SEEN AS A PRIVILEGE AND SO FOLKS WHO GROW UP WITH MONEY KNOW HOW TO BALANCE THEIR BUDGET BECAUSE THEY IT'S PASSED ON FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION. RIGHT. SO THIS IS ALSO A CULTURAL THING, NOT JUST STUDENTS BUT
ALSO THE WHOLE FAMILY. HAVING WORKED WITH WOMEN WHO WERE TRANSITIONING OUT OF WELFARE, THEY ALSO NEED FINANCIAL LITERACY. AND WHILE THIS IS ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE I THINK THAT WE ALSO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT
THE WHOLE FAMILY BECAUSE WE WANT TO HAVE A HEALTHY FINANCIAL LITERACY FOR THE WHOLE ENTIRE UNIT. SO I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU ALL THAT WHATEVER YOU'RE TEACHING THE YOUNG PEOPLE IT
GETS TO THE HANDS OF THE PARENTS WHO ARE ALSO HELPING TO SUPPORT YOUNG PEOPLE IN THEIR PROCESS. SO I WOULD LIKE TO SAY JUST TO KIND OF FOLLOW UP ON WHAT ONE
OF MY COLLEAGUES TALKED ABOUT, THERE ARE SOME PROGRAMS ABCD IS ONE OF THE WORK SITES FOR SUMMER WORKS AND IN 2010 WE WORKED THIS WOULD BE FOR OUR
CITY COUNSELOR, WORKED WITH YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEY DEVELOPED A WHOLE ENTIRE DOCUMENTARY AS A WORK SITE. BUT THERE WAS AN ENTIRE SEGMENT ABOUT WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR PAYCHECK AND SO YOUNG PEOPLE
THROUGH THAT PARTICULAR SITE THEIR MAIN FUNCTION WAS MAKING SURE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE WERE FINANCIALLY A LITERATE IF YOU WILL. AND SO THERE ARE SOME MODELS
ALREADY THAT EXIST THAT I THINK TAPPING INTO AND THEN HAVING THEM COORDINATE AND COLLABORATE WITH THE CITY COULD BE SOMETHING THAT ALREADY IS THERE AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL. THERE ARE GROUPS THAT ARE
DEDICATED TO MAKING SURE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE DOING THAT AND I CAN SEND YOU THE VIDEO FROM 2010 AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT THEY DID THE LITTLE SKITS. THEY MADE IT FUNNY.
SO ON THE BEEPS FRONT BEEPS. RIGHT. SO I'M GOING TO FOCUS MORE AND I MISSED THE EARLIER PART. I'M SORRY I WAS AT AN EVENT AND
PATH WHICH IS THE ECONOMIC MOBILITY PROGRAM. MY QUESTION IS WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT FINANCIAL LITERACY AND WE'RE LOOKING AT WHERE I THINK WE HAVE 125
SCHOOLS ARE WE LOOKING AT AT WHAT AGE? YOU KNOW, ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL. WHAT'S THE POINT OF ENTRY FOR FINANCIAL LITERACY?
SO I REPRESENT THE TEACHING AND LEARNING DEPARTMENT. SO WE LOOK AT IT AS A K-12 TRAJECTORY. I INTRODUCED SOME OF THE KEY TO LEARNING THAT HAPPENS IN REGARDS TO SAVING THROUGH SOME
OF OUR LITERACY THAT HAPPENS IN THE FOCUS CURRICULUM. THERE IS ALSO EMBEDDED IN OUR IF I AM MATH CURRICULUM THERE'S IN THE SECOND GRADE, THIRD
GRADE, SEVENTH GRADE UP TO HIGH SCHOOL INSTANCES WHERE STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT SAVING COMPOUND INTEREST, MAKING MONEY DECISIONS THAT'S EMBEDDED IN OUR HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL
MATERIALS. WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT HOW AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL THERE'S A LITTLE MORE INTERACTION. MARCIA TALKED ABOUT THAT BUT WE LOOK AT IT IN TEACHING AND LEARNING LIKE IT STARTS AT OUR
YOUNGEST LEARNERS AND THEN ALSO HOW THAT CONNECTS TO OUR BOSTON SAVES PROGRAM AND HOW I WAS SAYING THAT THE BOOKS THAT THEY HAVE THAT CONNECT TO THAT HAVE THAT BOSTON SAVE STICKER SO THE TEACHERS CAN ALSO REITERATE
THAT PROGRAM THAT STARTS STUDENTS AND FAMILIES OFF WITH A LITTLE SOMETHING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT BUT HOW WE GROW THAT PROGRAM AND SEEING HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS
AND TO YOUR POINT THE FAMILIES UNDERSTAND THAT FINANCIAL LEGACY PIECE AS WELL. I LOVE THAT I KEEP LOOKING AT THE CLOCK THAT ONE MINUTE AND 49 SECONDS SO I APPRECIATE YOU
TRYING TO GET ME TO THE FINISH LINE HERE BECAUSE I AM I'M HAPPY THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT BOSTON THIEVES BECAUSE WHAT IT DEMONSTRATES TO ME IS I ALWAYS SAY THAT WE ARE RESOURCE RICH BUT COORDINATION POOR, RIGHT?
THERE'S SO MANY RESOURCES HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON BUT OFTENTIMES WE MISSED THE MARK WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW WE INTERACT WITH ALL OF THESE. SO I'M HAPPY TO SEE THAT BOSTON SAVES IS PART OF YOUR
PROGRAMING AND AT LEAST THE PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS I RECENTLY LEARNED I HAVE A 15 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WHO OWES OH SHE GOT CASH APP YOU I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU BUT AND SHE WANTS TO TAKE UBERS EVERYWHERE
AND I CAN'T PICK HER UP ALL THE TIME SO I AM FEELING THE FINANCIAL CRUNCH OF BEING A SINGLE MOM AND I'VE BEEN TRYING TO TEACH HER SOME REALLY GOOD HABITS AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I RECENTLY LEARNED IS THAT
SHE CAN OPEN UP HER OWN BANK ACCOUNT AT 14 AND IF YOU KNEW BUT THERE'S A PROGRAM THAT TEENAGERS CAN HAVE A BANK ACCOUNTS ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH? I HAVE A TEENAGER AND I HAVE
TEN YEAR OLDS THAT HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A GREEN LIGHT A CARD AND IT'S A DEBIT ACCOUNT THAT THEY CAN OPEN AND THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO NOT ONLY THE LIQUID FUNDING BUT THEY CAN ALSO
INVEST THROUGH IT. THEY CAN HAVE SAVINGS ACCOUNTS, THEY CAN BUY CRYPTO IF THEY WANT TO. I DON'T HAVE THEM DO THAT BUT SENDING IN A WARNING WE'RE NOT LIKE YOU SAYING THAT RIGHT NOW.
YEAH, PUT THAT BACK. BUT THEY I MY CHILDREN HAVE THAT TYPE OF ACCOUNT. WOW OKAY SO I WOULD NOT MINUS THE CRYPTO SITUATION HERE BUT I
WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT IN OUR BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS LIKE THAT LEVEL OF INFORMATION BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE MY DAUGHTER TO HAVE HER OWN BANK ACCOUNT SO SHE CAN GET OFF OF MY CASH APP AND I
ALSO THINK IF THERE'S INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN SHARE WITH ME I'D LOVE TO FROM PARENTS A PARENT PLEASE EXCHANGE THAT I WOULD APPRECIATE IT AND MY TIME IS UP
UNFORTUNATELY SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU THANK YOU. CALLS FROM I HAVE YOU DO HAVE WE HAVE A SECOND PANEL SO IF YOU DO HAVE MORE QUESTIONS FOR THIS PANEL ARE WELCOME THEM
I'LL GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COUNCILMAN MURPHY FIRST AND COME BACK TO YOU YEAH NO I HAVE NO MORE QUESTIONS FOR THIS PANEL. THANK YOU THOUGH AND WILL CONTINUE. WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE ANSWERS THE QUESTIONS WE ASK.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR MURPHY DOESN'T MIND IF YOU HAVE ONE MORE. ABSOLUTELY. GO AHEAD. SO YOU KNOW BUDGET SEASON IS COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE AND I
ALWAYS THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT PEOPLE NEED BECAUSE WE HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS AS YOU ARE AND WE EXPECT YOU ALL TO DO EVERYTHING WITH NOTHING RIGHT.
AND THAT'S UNFAIR OFTENTIMES. AND I THINK THAT AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FINANCIAL LITERACY IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ME IN MY ADVOCACY AS WE CONTINUE TO NAVIGATE THIS PROCESS.
WHAT WHAT FINANCIAL SUPPORT, IF ANY DO YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO BETTER EXECUTE AGAINST THE HIGH DEMANDS THAT WE ARE MAKING ON YOU EVERY SINGLE DAY AS IT RELATES TO FINANCIAL ODYSSEY
AND FINANCIAL EXCELLENCE FOR OUR BLACK AND BROWN STUDENTS IN PARTICULAR? YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO A DOLLAR AMOUNT BUT LIKE DO YOU NEED LIKE YOU KNOW, FINANCIAL PLANNERS?
I KNOW HOW TO TALK TO YOUNG PEOPLE LIKE DO YOU LIKE WHAT WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? I CAN JUST TALK ABOUT THE CONVERSATIONS I HAD WITH CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE PAST.
THEY WENT FROM NOT HAVING A GRADUATION REQUIREMENT TO HAVING A GRADUATION REQUIREMENT AND WHAT THAT TOOK WAS PEOPLE POWER THEY NEEDED TO DEVELOP A DEPARTMENT OR AND THOSE WHO
WERE PROGRAM DIRECTORS WHO OVERSAW THE EDUCATION OF FINANCIAL LITERACY AND WE SAW OUR TEACHERS GETTING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING IN REGARDS TO OVERSEEING IT AS A K
12 INITIATIVE AND THEY SAID TO ME THAT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST STEPS THAT THEY NEEDED AND THEY ACTUALLY BROUGHT IN FOLKS WHO WERE TO LIKE WITH PARTNERSHIPS AND ACTUALLY MANAGE THOSE BANK PARTNERSHIPS, MANAGE THOSE
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND HOW THEY WENT INTO SCHOOLS AND SUPPORTED AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE THE WORK A FOUNDATIONAL PIECE TO MAKE THAT WORK
SOLIDIFIED IN OUR SCHOOLS. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING YEAH, THANK YOU. AND THEN TO FOLLOW UP ON UNLESS YOU HAVE SOMETHING LIKE A WISH LIST, RIGHT? YEAH, I HAVE ONE TINY LITTLE WISH LIST YOU KNOW WITHIN MY
ROLE ON FINANCIAL LITERACY IS USUALLY ALIGNED TO ISSUES OF COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY AND HIGHER ED FINANCING. AND ONE OF THE TRENDS THAT WE
HAVE SEEN OVER RECENT YEARS IS A DECLINE IN SCHOOL BASED COMMUNITY BASED AGENCIES LIKE YOU ASPIRE AND OTHERS BEING ABLE TO DELIVER SERVICES
BECAUSE OF CUTS COMING FROM YOU KNOW WHERE SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO YOU KNOW, BUILD SOME ADVOCACY AROUND IS HOW CAN WE REINSTATE SOME
OF THESE SCHOOL BASED SERVICES THAT STUDENTS AND SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND FAMILIES DEPEND ON TO HELP THEM THROUGH THE MICRO STEPS OF UNDERSTANDING
LIKE THE MASSACHUSETTS TUITION EQUITY LAWS MASK VERSUS FAFSA AND REALLY GO THROUGH THE APPLICATION PROCESSES WHERE STUDENTS ARE BENEFITING FROM ALL THE AID AT BOTH THE STATE AND FEDERAL FEDERAL LEVEL THAT
ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, HAVE A WISH LIST THAT I KNOW. I JUST I JUST WANT TO UNDERSCORE OUR GRATITUDE TO THE BOSTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOUNDATION WHO HAVE DEDICATED TWO STAFF PEOPLE TO THIS
INITIATIVE AND THAT'S AN INVESTMENT THAT THEY HAVE MADE. BUT AND WE WOULDN'T BE WHERE WE ARE TODAY WITHOUT THEIR SUPPORT. SO KUDOS YAHOO! THAT AND THE LAST THING THAT I
WOULD JUST OFFER WE HAVE A LOT OF INSTITUTIONS HIGHER ED INSTITUTIONS BE YOU KNOW, NORTHEASTERN HARVARD WHO ARE
PAYING THEIR FAIR SHARE OF PILOT AND THERE IS A CONCEPT AROUND UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME FOR FAMILIES. I THINK THAT IF THERE WAS A IF
WE IF I HAD MY OWN LITTLE FAIRY GODMOTHER HERE I PROBABLY WOULD WISH THAT EVERY SINGLE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT SIMILAR TO THE BOSTON SAVES WILL GET A
LITTLE FUND BUT A MONTHLY STIPEND AND THAT THEY THEY CAN LEARN HOW TO BUDGET AND THEN THEY THEY ONLY GET $100 BUT IN THAT WITHIN THAT MONTH THEY HAVE TO PRIORITIZE THE THINGS
THAT THEY CAN SPEND BECAUSE THEN YOU CAN REALLY START DEVELOPING A SENSE OF KIND OF LIKE WHAT YOU'RE SPENDING HABITS ARE. SO THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT NOT THAT WE HAVE THE MONEY TO
DO THAT BUT I THINK THAT IF YOUNG PEOPLE HAD CAPITAL TO WORK WITH IT COULD BE A TOOL TO TEACH THEM HOW TO EVEN IF IT'S $50 OR EVEN $25 AT THIS POINT, YOU KNOW WHAT $5 IF THEY'RE IN
THE SECOND GRADE. BUT I THINK IF THERE WAS A WAY FOR US TO INCENTIVIZE YOUNG PEOPLE WITH ACTUAL CAPITAL TO WORK WITH SO THAT THEY CAN SEE
THE IMPACT OF THE DECISIONS THAT THEY'RE MAKING AND MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN PILOT WITH OUR SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS LIKE IF WE COULD GIVE INCENTIVES TO PEOPLE WHO SAVE $500 FOR THAT SUMMER
THEN THERE'S COULD BE A MATCH. I THINK THAT REALLY THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX IN TERMS OF FINANCIAL LITERACY BUT ALSO PROVIDING IT FROM A PLACE OF INCENTIVES I THINK ALSO
HELPS YOUNG PEOPLE REALLY GET INTO IT LIKE I THINK THAT SAVINGS IS NOT SEXY RIGHT? EVERYBODY WANTS TO SPEND MONEY AS SOON AS THEY GET IT. I'M ALWAYS AT BURLINGTON COAT FACTORY Y'ALL LIKE I THAT'S WHY I ALWAYS HAD THREE JOBS, RIGHT?
SO I THINK THAT WE JUST HAVE TO GET INTO THE HABIT OF HAVING A BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH MONEY AND I THINK THE BEST WAY FOR US TO HAVE FINANCIAL LITERACY IS TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT RELATIONSHIP COULD LOOK LIKE.
AND SO I THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK. THANK YOU. SOMETHING ELSE FOR MEJIA AND I WANT TO THANK ALL THREE PANELISTS FROM FROM BPC FOR BEING HERE FOR ANSWERING OUR
QUESTIONS AND I WILL NOW DISMISS YOU ALL AND I INVITE OUR SECOND PANEL, OUR COMMUNITY PANEL WITH US. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE DEVIN WHALEN WHO'S THE MANAGING
PARTNER WITH CITI REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT AND THEN WE HAVE THIS LOW GAVEL WHO IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF EARLY INVESTORS. SO I WELCOME THEM TO COME TO
THE FLOOR AND I'LL GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AND THEN SHARE ANY REMARKS, OPENING STATEMENTS,
PRESENTATION AND WHAT TO CONSIDER QUESTIONS AND AN
AWESOME THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. WE APPRECIATE IT. SO I'LL TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO YOU AND THE COMMISSION TO DO YOURSELVES FOR THE RECORD AND THEN GIVE ANY OPENING REMARKS
PRESENTATION AND THEN WE'LL GO TO CULTURAL QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. GREAT. IS THAT WORKING? OKAY, HERE WE GO. I'M NOT MUCH OF A PUBLIC SPEAKER BUT I'M GOING TO DO MY BEST.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK THE COUNCIL FOR INVITING US HERE TO SPEAK ON THIS VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC SPECIAL THANK YOU TO COUNCILOR MURPHY FOR
ALONG THE WAY BEING THERE FOR GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT. MY NAME IS STEVE WHALEN AND I AM THE FOUNDER OF CITY KIDS
WHICH IS A FOUR PURPOSE ENTITY CREATED TO GIVE KIDS IN THE CITY OF BOSTON EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND TOOLS TO
SPARK INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY AS IT APPLIES TO AND I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE MY COLLABORATOR NEEL
SO NICE LITTLE GALLO OF EARLY INVESTORS INC. WE WHAT GOT ME ON THIS TOPIC WAS WE DO A ROBUST INTERNSHIP EVERY YEAR.
WE GAVE OUT PAYCHECKS. IT WAS THREE YEARS AGO AND ONE OF THE KIDS CAME UP TO ME AFTER AND HE SAID CAN YOU PAY ME IN CASH? AND YOU KNOW, I WAS I WAS
WONDERING HE WAS 18. WHY DID YOU NEED TO GET PAID IN CASH? YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT WOULD SAVE HIM MONEY. IT'S HE SAID THAT GOT ME THINKING ABOUT FINANCIAL
LITERACY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF FINANCIAL LITERACY. SO I STARTED TO TALK TO THE KIDS. I STARTED TO LISTEN TO WHAT THEY WERE SAYING ABOUT THEIR
UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE WHERE THEY WERE WITH FINANCIAL LITERACY AND IT WAS PRETTY STARK. MOST OF THEM DIDN'T HAVE A BANK ACCOUNT WHICH WAS WHICH WAS ONE THING.
SO THEY WERE YOU KNOW, THEY'RE OPEN TO TWO PREDATORS OUT THERE AND A LOT OF THEM WERE ABOUT TO GO INTO COLLEGE. SO THEY WERE GETTING A LOT OF OFFERS ABOUT FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND GET A FREE LAPTOP
ON THIS OR THAT. SO THEY REALLY HAD NO FINANCIAL ARMOR. SO WE WENT BACK AND WE TALKED TO OUR TEAM SAID WE REALLY WANT TO GET GOING ON THIS.
OUR MANTRA BECAME AFTER TALKING WITH TOO MANY KIDS THAT HAD SIMILAR KIND OF STATEMENTS AND EXPERIENCES TO TO THE FIRST KID I MENTIONED WAS FINANCIAL LITERACY RATE.
NOW IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ALGEBRA. THAT'S A STARK THAT'S A STARK STATEMENT BUT IT'S TRUE THESE KIDS ARE COMING OUT INTO THE
WORLD. THEIR CREDIT IS GETTING OBLITERATE PRETTY QUICKLY AND THEY'RE NOT THEY'RE AT A DEFICIT BEFORE THEY EVEN KNOW IT.
SO WE DECIDED WE WANTED TO TO START PICKING IT UP AS A AS A PROJECT AND SEE WHAT WE COULD DO. AND OUR GOAL IN THE BEGINNING
WAS TO HAVE PILOT PROGRAMS GO INTO THE SCHOOLS AND TO EVENTUALLY HAVE BEEPS IT ON AS AS CURRICULUM FINANCIAL
LITERACY AS CURRICULUM, ROBUST CURRICULUM. SO THAT LED TO A CONVERSATION WITH A LOT OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO FIND THE RIGHT PARTNER BECAUSE WE WANTED TO BE WITH SOMEBODY THAT CARED ABOUT
THIS TOPIC AND AND REALLY GAVE THEIR ALL TO THE KIDS AS WE WENT OUT. SO THAT'S WHERE I WAS INTRODUCED THROUGH PAULO
DEVEREAUX OF THE CAPE VERDE IN ASSOCIATION TO LAW. I MET WITH NIZZOLO A FEW TIMES AND YOU KNOW, WE ASKED HIM ABOUT HIS PROGRAMING, WE READ HIS PROGRAMING AND WHAT REALLY
GOT ME WAS HIS PASSION FOR THIS SUBJECT. IT WAS HE WAS PASSIONATE AS WERE WE YOU KNOW. SO WE DECIDED TO COLLABORATE TOGETHER TO STRATEGIZE ON HOW
WE WOULD GET TO OUR GOAL. OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS WE'VE DONE APPROXIMATELY 300 WORKSHOPS IN VARIOUS SCHOOLS AND ORGANIZATIONS REVOLVING
AROUND FINANCIAL LITERACY AND GETTING KIDS ON BETTER FOOTING. I CAN SAY THAT GOING INTO THE SCHOOLS WAS EVEN MORE EYE
BECAUSE WE WERE SEEING A LOT OF KIDS RESPOND TO SURVEYS WHERE HEY HOW ARE YOU GOING TO BUILD WEALTH? OUR SURVEY SAID 6% OF THEM SAID
WE'RE GOING TO WIN THE LOTTERY CLOSELY FOLLOWED BY I'M GOING TO BE A PROFESSIONAL SPORTS PLAYER OR OR A MUSICIAN. THOSE ARE THOSE ARE YOUR TOP THREE.
SO ALTHOUGH THOSE ARE OUR GREAT ASPIRATIONS OTHER THAN THE LOTTERY THE THE LIKELIHOOD OF THAT HAPPENING IS VERY LOW. SO WE HAVE TO GIVE THESE A DOSE
OF REALITY AND FALLBACK OPTIONS. ANOTHER FACT WAS 93% OF THEM SAID THEIR FAMILIES WERE IN FINANCIAL DISTRESS.
SO THAT'S A BIG CHUNK OF THE FAMILIES. ANOTHER FACT WAS 80% OF THEM SAID THEY USED CHECK CASHING AS OPPOSED TO REGULAR GOING THROUGH THE REGULAR BANKING SYSTEM.
THESE FACTS REALLY UNDERLINED YOU KNOW THAT OUR WAS IMPORTANT. SO WITH THAT SAID AND NIZZOLO WHO HAS BEEN FIGHTING THIS
FIGHT FOR SEVERAL SEVERAL YEARS HE CAN GO MORE INTO THE DETAIL AND THE EXPERIENCE WITHIN SCHOOLS AND ORGANIZATIONS. SO I'LL PASS IT ON TO YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, STEVE. THANK YOU.
COUNCILMAN SANTANA AND COUNCILWOMAN MURPHY FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. TRULY APPRECIATE IT. I WILL SAY THIS MUCH BEFORE I START WITH MY PREPARED
STATEMENT 70,000 OR 70,000 KIDS THAT'S HOW MANY KIDS GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL EACH AND EVERY YEAR HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS WITHOUT A BASIC LIFE SKILL. 70,000 WE'D RATHER TEACH KIDS
ABOUT MATH, ENGLISH, SCIENCE, SOCIAL STUDIES. YOU HAVE FOREIGN LANGUAGE. THERE'S A REQUIREMENT YOU HAVE EVEN ARTS AND IN SOME SCHOOLS
OR MOST SCHOOLS I SHOULD SAY EVERY SINGLE STUDENT LEARNED ABOUT DRUGS AND SEX BUT THEY'RE NOT LEARNING ABOUT PERSONAL FINANCE. WHAT IS THAT SAYING ABOUT US?
IT'S NOT A PRIORITY SO WE APPLAUD YOUR EFFORTS TODAY. HOPEFULLY WE CAN MAKE SOME HUGE STRIDES AND MANDATE IN HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS TO TAKE A MONEY MANAGEMENT COURSE BEFORE THEY
GRADUATE. WITH THAT BEING SAID EARLY INVESTORS WE ARE A NOT FOR PROFIT 501C3 ORGANIZATION AS STEVE MENTIONED WE ARE COMMITTED TO INSPIRE ENRICH
LIVES THROUGH FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT OF YOUNG ADULTS AS WELL AS ADULTS ALIKE BECAUSE FINANCIAL EDUCATION SPANS ALL AGE GROUPS. IT'S NOT SPECIFIC SPECIFIC TO
ONE GROUP. OUR GOAL IS TO INSTILL IN THOSE WHO PARTICIPATE IN OUR PROGRAM THE IMPORTANCE OF FINANCIAL EDUCATION, ASSET BUILDING AND WEALTH MANAGEMENT. THE HOPE IS THAT THIS WILL BETTER POSITION THEM TO LEAD
FINANCIALLY SECURE LIVES, REALIZE THEIR PERSONAL ASPIRATIONS AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR COMMUNITIES. SO SINCE 2010 EARLY INVESTORS HAS PARTNERED WITH LOCAL HIGH
SCHOOLS, FINANCIAL SERVICE INSTITUTIONS, ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS LIKE CITY KIDS TO DELIVER OUR SPECIALIZED ECONOMIC INFUSED AND PERSONAL FINANCE BASED CURRICULUM.
UNLIKE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WE GO ABOUT IT DIRECTLY. WE GO DIRECTLY TO YOUNG ADULTS AT SCHOOLS, TO COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS THEIR PLACES OF WORK.
SO TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA AS FAR AS THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS THAT WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH IN THE PAST BOSTON LATIN SCHOOL, BOSTON LATIN ACADEMY, BOSTON PREP ACADEMY WE DID PROGRAMING
AT MILTON HIGH SCHOOL, SUMMERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL, HINGHAM HIGH SCHOOL, CODMAN ACADEMY ACADEMY OF SCIENCE AND HEALTH, FENWAY HIGH. JOHN D O'BRIEN CHARLESTOWN HIGH. SOMERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL.
BOSTON COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP ACADEMY NEW MISSION HIGH SCHOOL THE ENGINEERING SCHOOL WHICH NO LONGER EXISTS GRETTA EGGLESTON ENGLISH HIGH. WE'VE DONE PROGRAMING AT MILLER'S HIGH SCHOOL HOLLISTON
HIGH SCHOOL. ALSO ORGANIZATIONS LIKE STEP TO SUCCESS IN BROOKLINE CONCORD CHINESE SCHOOL IN CHINATOWN TECH, BOSTON ACADEMY. SUFFOLK COUNTY HOUSE OF CORRECTIONS, CATHOLIC
CHARITIES ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON BIKES NOT BOMBS HARLEM LACROSSE. AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, I WISH THE COUNCILMAN COUNCILWOMAN WHO
ASKED ABOUT SUMMER PROGRAMING ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO THE MARY JOBS PROGRAM WE'VE ALSO PARTNERED UP WITH A LOT OF THESE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE GIVEN INTERNSHIP
EXCUSE ME AND INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES TO THESE YOUNG PEOPLE. SO WE'VE PARTNERED UP WITH BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD, BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL, DANA-FARBER LIBERTY MUTUAL.
MORE THAN WORDS. DTC AS WELL AS SOME OTHER AND AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE ACTUALLY DESIGNED AND DELIVERED A PROGRAM TO SUFFOLK COUNTY HOUSE OF CORRECTIONS AS WELL AS
PONTVILLE. SO WE ARE VERY ACTIVE. WE ARE BOOTS ON THE GROUND AND I WILL SAY OUT CERTAINTY THAT WE WERE PROBABLY THE ONLY ORGANIZATION ON THE GROUND
THAT'S OFFERING COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL EDUCATION TO YOUNG PEOPLE. AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE'RE NOT WAITING FOR THE OTHER SHOE TO DROP. 70,000 KIDS GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL WITHOUT US BASIC LIFE SKILL. WE CAN'T WAIT NO LONGER.
SO HAVING ORGANIZATIONS LIKE EARLY INVESTORS THAT ARE TARGETING THESE KIDS DIRECTLY AT SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS THEIR PLACES OF WORK IS ESSENTIAL. THANKS TO THE COLLABORATION
WITH CITY KIDS WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT. IN ADDITION TO SOME OF THOSE SCHOOLS THAT I MENTIONED
BRIGHTON HOVE WAS A PROGRAM THAT STEVE AND CITY KIDS WERE ABLE TO SPONSOR. AS I MENTIONED, SOME OF THE HIGH SCHOOL THE CAPE VERDEAN ASSOCIATION, BOSTON ASIAN YOUTH ENRICHMENT SERVICES, BOSTON
CENTER FOR YOUTH AND FAMILIES. WE ALSO DELIVERED A PROGRAM TO THEM AS WELL AS METCO AS WELL AS MOTHERS FOR JUSTICE AND EQUALITY. AND MORE RECENTLY THANKS TO
STEVE AND CITY KIDS WE WERE ABLE TO DELIVER A 20 WEEK PROGRAM TO STUDENTS AT HOLLAND HIGH SCHOOL THIS PAST SCHOOL YEAR. SOME OF THE NUMBERS PIECE STEVE
ALLUDED TO 82% HAD LITTLE TO NO SAVINGS. 56% OBVIOUSLY STATED THAT WINNING THE LOTTERY WAS THE MOST PRACTICAL STRATEGY TO ACCUMULATE WEALTH WHILE 91%
SAID THAT THEY HAD FAMILY PROBLEMS, 64% OF THEM NEVER HAD A CHECKING AND SAVINGS ACCOUNT AND 89% HAD NO IDEA WHAT INVESTING MEANT.
SOME OF THE PROGRAM SUCCESSES 94% OF PARTICIPANTS APPLIED SKILLS LEARNED TO THEIR OWN SITUATION IMMEDIATELY. A LOT OF THESE KIDS DO HAVE JOBS AND UNFORTUNATELY A LOT
OF THEM STILL RECEIVE PAPER CHECKS. SO BY GOING INTO SCHOOLS WE TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF BANKING. IT'S NOT JUST DEBIT CARDS AND CHECKING ACCOUNTS.
IT'S IT'S MORE THAN THAT. IT'S DEVELOPING MAYBE GETTING A CD ACCOUNT OR A MONEY MARKET ACCOUNT. 82% OF THE KIDS SAID THAT THEY WOULD OPEN UP A SAVINGS
INVESTMENT ACCOUNT WITHIN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS. AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT EARLY INVESTORS WE DON'T DO THIS OURSELVES. WE ENLIST CORPORATE AMERICA TO HELP US OUT SO WE PARTNER UP WITH A LOT OF MAJOR FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS LIKE THE ONEX, PRIVATE EQUITY, BLACKROCK, CAPSTONE AND OTHERS TO HELP DELIVER OUR PROGRAM. AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE'RE ABLE TO DELIVER A COMPREHENSIVE
PROGRAM AS OPPOSED TO JUST A ONE WORKSHOP. ON AVERAGE OUR WORKSHOPS ARE ABOUT 9 TO 11 WEEKS AND AS I MENTIONED BEFORE THANKS TO STEVE WE'RE ABLE TO DO A 20 WEEK PROGRAM AT HOLLAND HIGH
SCHOOL. SOME OF THE OTHER SUCCESS 97% STATED THAT THEY HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT. THE PROGRAM HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THEIR VIEWS AND APPROACH NOT ONLY ON MONEY BUT
JUST LIFE IN GENERAL. AND IN 71 GRADUATED FROM OUR PROGRAM WITH A GRADE OF 82% OR BETTER THE COURSE. IT'S A COMPREHENSIVE COURSE. THERE'S CASE STUDIES, THERE'S
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS, DESK PROJECTS THANKS TO AND COUNCILMAN FLYNN, YOU MENTIONED IEEE, A DIVISION OF THE U.S. TREASURER'S OFFICE.
THANKS TO THEM WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DELIVER CREDIT FOR LIFE OR REALITY FAIRS TO SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. WE ENLIST ABOUT 20 TO 30
PARTNERS. IT'S A REALITY FAIR. THERE'S 20 BOOTHS. WE PROVIDE KIDS WITH A BUDGET. THEY HAVE TO RESEARCH THEIR DESIRED OCCUPATION, CALCULATE
WHAT THE MONTHLY INCOME IS OBVIOUSLY AFTER TAXES AND THEN THEY GO TO EACH AND EVERY BOOTH DEDUCTING THAT AMOUNT. SUFFICE TO SAY 90% IF NOT MORE
OF STUDENTS FIND THEMSELVES IN A PREDICAMENT WHERE THEY WERE OVER BUDGET. SO PART OF THE EXERCISE THEY HAVE TO GO BACK AND REASSESS. SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE
SUCCESSES THAT WE AS AN ORGANIZATION HAVE SEEN AND I'M WILLING TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. THANK YOU BOTH. WE APPRECIATE YOU BOTH BEING
HERE AND I WANT TO GO TO OF QUESTIONS STARTING WITH THE LEAD SPONSOR COUNCILOR FLYNN. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. AND THANK YOU TO STEVE AND TO NIZZOLO FOR YOUR TESTIMONY.
I DO APOLOGIZE THAT I DID STEP OUT FOR FOR A FEW MINUTES BUT LET ME LET ME ASK YOU ONE QUESTION. CAN YOU JUST EXPLAIN AND I
ALWAYS WAS INVOLVED AS A PROBATION OFFICER WITH REENTRY BUT CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE PROGRAM YOU HAD AT THE SUFFOLK COUNTY JAIL IN SUPPORTING SUPPORTING PEOPLE IN CUSTODY?
YES. GROUP QUESTION. SO WE PARTNERED WITH SUFFOLK COUNTY HEALTH I BELIEVE IT WAS BACK IN 2013 2014. THEY DIDN'T HAVE FINANCIAL
EDUCATION WHATSOEVER. THEY HAD SEVERAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN PLACE BUT FINANCIAL EDUCATION WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES AND ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT OR CONCERNS THAT WE HAD THAT WE PRESENTED THEM WITH
IS A LOT OF THESE INMATES AND DETAINEES. ONE OF THE MAIN PROBLEMS WHY THEY'RE INCARCERATED IS BECAUSE OF MONEY PROBLEMS. SO WHY NOT HAVE A FINANCIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM? AND JIM DESIR, WHO WAS HEAD
OF THE PROGRAM EDUCATION PROGRAM AT THAT TIME WAS VERY RECEPTIVE SO RECEPTIVE THAT HE ASKED AS FAR AS COULD YOU DESIGN A PROGRAM FOR FOR US? AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE DID.
WE DESIGNED A PROGRAM THAT NOT ONLY DISCUSSED GOAL SETTING AND FINANCIAL PLANNING AND BUDGETING AND PAYROLL TAXES BUT AS FAR AS HOW COULD THEY REENTER THE WORLD ESPECIALLY
WITH CAREER CHECKS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO THAT PROGRAM WAS VERY COMPREHENSIVE BUT WE WERE THERE FOR ABOUT A YEAR, A YEAR AND A HALF. WE SAW BOTH INMATES AND
DETAINEES, BOTH THE MEN POPULATION AS WELL AS THE FEMALE POPULATION. AND THAT PROGRAM RAN FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AND UNFORTUNATELY BECAUSE OF COVID
AS WELL AS SOME OTHER FACTORS, WE WERE UNABLE TO RESTART THE PROGRAM. BUT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO THAT IN THE NEAR FUTURE. YEAH, THAT'S SOMETHING I WOULD I WOULD SUPPORT. I THINK IT'S CRITICAL YOU KNOW
FINANCIAL LITERACY YOU CERTAINLY NEED TO LEARN IT AT A VERY YOUNG AGE AND OUR SCHOOLS BUT IF YOU DIDN'T LEARN IT
THERE'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN IT AS AN ADULT ESPECIALLY AS AN ADULT YOU NEED TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING A FINANCIAL LITERACY JUST BECAUSE YOU MIGHT BE IN CUSTODY DOESN'T MEAN YOU
DON'T NEED FINANCIAL LITERACY. YOU PROBABLY NEED IT A LOT MORE. BUT SETTING PEOPLE UP FOR SUCCESS AS THEY AS THEY LEAVE
LEAVE JAIL OR LEAVE CUSTODY BECAUSE BECAUSE PROBABLY THE BANKING SYSTEM OR OR MAY HAVE BEEN CUT OFF FOR SOME OF THEIR
SUPPORTS SYSTEMS MIGHT HAVE BEEN CUT OFF DURING THAT TIME. BUT DO THEY DO MANY OF THE INMATES OR THOSE IN CUSTODY DO THEY HAVE ACCESS TO START A
BANK ACCOUNT WHILE THEY'RE IN WHILE THEY'RE IN CUSTODY AS I KNOW? NO, I JUST DON'T IN PLACE. OKAY. OKAY. SO THE CHALLENGE REALLY IS ONCE
THEY GET OUT IS THEN AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS THE OTHER DAY AND THEY NEED TO GET A BIRTH CERTIFICATE THEN THAN AN ID AND THEN EVENTUALLY
GETTING INTO THE BANKING SYSTEM SO YOU CAN ESTABLISH A A CREDIT A CREDIT SAVINGS OR A CREDIT ACCOUNT BUT THAT COULD TAKE YOU
A MONTH OR MONTHS AFTER YOU GET BUT SUPPORTING SOMEONE WHILE THEY'RE IN AND GETTING THOSE TYPES OF LIFE SKILLS IS CRITICAL BECAUSE I'VE I'VE SEEN
IT WHEN I WAS ON ACTIVE DUTY AS I MENTIONED I WAS I LIVED AND I LIVED IN CUBA FOR MONTHS AND AND I TAUGHT A LOT OF THESE COURSES FOR YOUNG YOUNGER
PEOPLE MOSTLY AND THEY WERE 1920 YEARS OLD AND THEY WOULD BUY THE FIRST THING THEY DID WAS WAS THEY'D BUY A CAR IN FLORIDA AND THEN THEY'D GET DEPLOYED TO CUBA AND THEY'D BE
PAYING THEY'D BE PAYING HUGE MONEY FOR A CAR IN FLORIDA AND NOW THEY'RE IN CUBA AND THEY WERE ASKING ME HOW TO HOW DO I GO ABOUT FIGURING THAT OUT? AND THEY'RE PAYING ABOUT A THOUSAND BUCKS FOR THEIR CAR
KNOWING THAT THEY'RE BEING DEPLOYED FOR 13 MONTHS BUT NOT TO CRITICIZE THEM BUT THEY JUST NEVER HAD THE BASIC FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE OF BACKGROUND AS A
YOUNGER PERSON. SO THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT WHAT YOU'RE DOING. I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR WHAT WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND TO CONTINUE THE POSITIVE WORK
YOU'RE DOING IN THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNSELOR FLYNN COUNSELOR MURPHY. OFFICER THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY
AND FOR BRINGING THAT SENSE OF URGENCY THAT IT DID NOT HEAR IN THE FIRST PANEL. I APPRECIATE THEY HERE BUT UNFORTUNATELY OFTENTIMES IN PEACE. ONE OF MY BIGGEST FRUSTRATIONS
IS IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S JUST A BOX WE HAVE TO CHECK AND IT WASN'T, YOU KNOW, A GOTCHA. BUT WHEN WE TRY TO SAY WELL, EVERYONE HAS AN OPPORTUNITY
THROUGH MY CAP TO MAYBE BE EXPOSED IF THEIR SCHOOL CAN, YOU KNOW, OFFER IT BUT IT'S NOT THE SAME AS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE THAT IT'S IT'S REAL EDUCATION.
IT'S NEEDED. IT'S NOT EVEN JUST ONE CLASS. IT COULD BE LIKE YOU SAID WHAT WAS IT HOLLISTON OR 20 COURSE TEN WEEKS WHERE THEY'RE REALLY GETTING INTO UNDERSTANDING AND
I LIKED YOUR WORD STEVE IT'S FINANCIAL ARMOR, RIGHT? LIKE YOU NEED IT GOING AND YOU NEED IT AS SOON AS YOU START GETTING PAID AND YOUNG KIDS NOW IT'S GREAT.
I KNOW THEY'RE BABYSITTING YOU CAN VENMO NOW SO YOUNG KIDS HAVE VENMO AND WHERE DO YOU PUT THAT MONEY? WHERE DOES IT SIT? WHAT DO YOU DO WITH IT? HOW DO YOU HELP IT GROW? BECAUSE MONEY IS FREEDOM,
RIGHT? AND YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT IT. NOBODY CAN LIVE WITHOUT MONEY SO YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIND SOME RELATIONSHIP WITH IT. AND THOSE SURVEYS I'M NOT SURPRISED.
RIGHT. MANY PEOPLE HAVE A BAD RELATIONSHIP WITH MONEY BECAUSE THEIR SAW THEIR FAMILIES EITHER RESENTFUL OR STRUGGLING WITH IT. SO HOW DO WE WORK THROUGH AND I
KNOW YOUR COURSES DO THAT ALL RIGHT. IT'S A DEEP CANVAS ATION YOU HAVE TO GET THROUGH THE EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT PEOPLE HAVE PUT MONEY. SOME PEOPLE LOVE IT, SOME PEOPLE HATE IT. YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT IT
THOUGH SO HOW DO WE GET OUR KIDS TO A PLACE YOU KNOW THEY ALL HAVE THIS UNDERSTANDING SO THAT THEY THEY DON'T FEEL AS THOUGH THEY'RE INADEQUATE
BECAUSE I DO SEE MANY KIDS JUST NOT KNOWING AND I'VE HAD MANY I WAS JUST SAYING TO THE CHAIR EARLIER THAT SEVERAL OF MY SUMMER INTERNS THEY DON'T THEY CAN'T SET UP DIRECT DEPOSIT BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A BANK
ACCOUNTS LIKE LIKE THE FIRST WEEK I'M LIKE WHY IS LORRAINE NEEDING TO GIVE YOU A PAPER CHECK? I'M LIKE OH WE NEED TO GO TO THE BANK. WE NEED TO SET UP AN ACCOUNT LIKE THESE THINGS THAT SOMETIMES WE TAKE FOR GRANTED
AND I DO ALSO IF YOU GAVE SURVEYS TO YOU'D PROBABLY HAVE PRETTY CLOSE TO THE SAME STATISTICS RIGHT? SO TO EXPECT OUR TEACHERS ARE YOU KNOW, THE ADULTS THEY'RE
PROBABLY COMING WITH THE SAME FINANCIAL DEFICIT THAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE. SO HOW DO WE BREAK THAT CYCLE AND HOW DO WE MAKE IT SO THAT
THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT SOME YOU LISTED A LONG LIST BUT AS YOU SAID 70,000 KIDS EVERY YEAR ARE GRADUATING. SO ALTHOUGH IT'S AN IMPRESSIVE LIST THAT YOU WORK WITH, IT'S A
SMALL PERCENTAGE BUT IT'S DEEP. I KNOW I'VE BEEN TO SAY LIKE THE BASE AND YOU WALK IN AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT SOME NOT MANY BUT SOME KIDS TAKE FOR
GRANTED LIKE HEALTHY SNACKS, ADULT SUPERVISION, FINANCIAL LITERACY CLASSES LIKE COULD YOU JUST TALK THROUGH LIKE WHAT STUDENT SAY AT EAST BOSTON HIGH
GETS TO EXPERIENCE IF THEY'RE IN A FINANCIAL CLASS OR ONE OF THE SCHOOLS YOU LISTED THAT YOU ARE OFFERING MORE THAN JUST KIND OF A ONE AFTERNOON DROP IN
BUT YOU YEAH SO IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO IMPLEMENT ALL FACETS OF PERSONAL FINANCE, RIGHT? ONE THING THAT PEOPLE DON'T
STRESS ABOUT OBVIOUSLY FINANCIAL EDUCATION IT'S NOT JUST A BUZZWORD, RIGHT? IT'S ABOUT CRAFTING A FINANCIAL LIFE THAT SUPPORTS GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS. WHAT DOES THAT ENTAIL? IT'S NOT JUST BALANCING THE CHECKBOOK. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT CREDIT.
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT BANKING. SO WE TAKE A REALLY HOLISTIC APPROACH WHEN IT COMES TO PERSONAL FINANCE FIRST AND FOREMOST YOU HAVE TO BUILD RAPPORT WITH THESE KIDS AND
YOU'LL BE SURPRISED ONCE YOU BUILD RAPPORT WITH THESE KIDS THEY TELL YOU EVERYTHING. ONCE YOU HAVE THAT UNDERSTANDING AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LANDSCAPE OF BOSTON
PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS MOST OF THEM RECEIVE FREE OR REDUCED LUNCH BREAKFAST AND YET WHY DO MOST OF THESE STUDENTS LEAVE
CAMPUS EVERY SINGLE DAY TO GO OUT TO BURGER KING OR THE LOCAL PIZZA JOINT? WHY ALL THESE KIDS UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF PERSONAL FINANCE BUT JUST BY GOING INTO
THE SCHOOL AND EDUCATING THEM ON CERTAIN ASPECTS IT DOESN'T CHANGE THEIR MINDSET. SO YOU FIRST NEED TO TARGET THEIR PERCEPTION, THEIR ATTITUDE. ONCE YOU DO THAT THEN YOU CAN CHANGE THEIR ACTIONS.
SO OUR WHOLE APPROACH IS THAT HOLISTIC APPROACH. LET'S TALK ABOUT FINANCIAL PLANNING. LET'S TALK ABOUT GOAL SETTING, LET'S TALK ABOUT BUDGETING, LET'S TALK ABOUT PAYROLL TAXES . A LOT OF TOOLS DO WORK BUT
GIVEN THE FACT THAT THEY DON'T MAKE ENOUGH MONEY, THEY'RE EXEMPT FROM PAYING STATE AND FEDERAL YET ALL STUDENTS DON'T EVEN BOTHER READING CONTRACTS.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER ASPECT OF PERSONAL FINANCE AS WELL. THEN YOU COULD GET INTO CREDIT, THEN YOU COULD GET INTO SAVINGS VERSUS DEBT. WE EVEN TALK ABOUT MARKETING GIMMICKS, RIGHT?
SO THAT'S OFFLINE AS MENTIONED CAR PAYMENTS AND MANY TIMES I HEAR KIDS THEN GET HIT WITH THEIR INSURANCE BILL AND KIND OF COMPLETELY FORGOT THAT THAT WOULD ALSO BE ADDED TO YOUR MONTHLY EXPENSE IF YOU OWN A CAR AT THE EXPENSE OF GAS.
CORRECT. SO WE'VE WE'VE DONE PROGRAM TO CONTINUE WITH THAT CONVERSATION . WE DID A PROGRAM THANKS TO STEVE AND CITY KIDS AT MECO AND
WE'RE GOING THROUGH FINANCIAL PLANNING, GOAL SETTING, BUDGETING AND EVERYTHING AND THE KID PULLS ME ASIDE AFTERWARDS AND SAYS LISTEN THIS IS GREAT. HOW CAN I INVEST MY 16 YEAR OLD
KID? WELL, YOU COULD USE YOUR PARENTS AS A CUSTODIAL INDIVIDUAL AND THEN THEY COULD OPEN UP AN INVESTMENT ACCOUNT. BUT THIS PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL
STATED HE'S FROM A SINGLE PARENT HOUSEHOLD. HIS MOTHER IS STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET. HOW CAN HE HELP WHICH IS VERY
HONORABLE AND WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS. BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE KID HE HAS A $400 PAIR OF SNEAKERS. HE HAS $200 PAIR OF BEATS BY
DRE RIGHT. SO I COULD WE COULD EDUCATE THEM ALL YOU WANT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S GOING TO YOU KNOW, HIT THEM TO THE POINT WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE CHANGES SO IT'S IT'S THAT INTERACTION
WITH THE KIDS SO AT ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO BUILD THAT REPORT THAT TRUST WITH THE STUDENTS AND THEN GOING THROUGH AS FAR AS WE'RE NOT PROFESSORIAL WE'RE HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH STUDENTS.
IT'S NOT LECTURES AND EVERYONE THAT WE BRING TO THE FOREFRONT INCLUDING THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR THEY UNDERSTAND THAT SO WE ALL HAVE AN
OBLIGATION TO EDUCATE THESE YOUNG KIDS. IT'S ALL ABOUT HOW WE GO ABOUT DOING IT AND WE DO IT FROM A VERY FROM A POINT WHERE KIDS COULD ACCESS TO INFORMATION
IT'S AT THEIR SPEED. WE BRING REAL LIFE INTO THE CLASSROOM. IT'S NOT JUST BASED ON THEORIES AND FORMULAS OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE. SO THAT'S WHAT WE DO IN THE CLASSROOM. THAT'S THE REASON WHY IT'S A
COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM. ONE LAST ONE OF THE BUZZWORDS YOU HEAR ALL THE TIME IT'S LIKE INTERGENERATIONAL WEALTH. IT'S REAL. IT'S IMPORTANT TO TEACH THAT
ALSO I WOULD SAY GETTING KIDS FROM THE MINDSET OF SURVIVAL TO TO THRIVING YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS A PATH TO GET THERE. I MEAN SURVIVAL IS YOU SHOULD
KNOW THE BASICS OF THRIVING IS YOU KNOW, YOU START TO HAVE RESOURCES TO ASK QUESTIONS. SO WE WE LIKE TO BE THERE AND TO PROVIDE ROLODEX TO THESE
KIDS SO THEY CAN ASK THE QUESTIONS IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN INVESTING WE CAN TALK TO THEM ABOUT THAT. WE OFFER YOU KNOW, WE'RE REAL ESTATE PEOPLE SO WE'VE WE'VE GOT A PROGRAM WHERE WE OFFER
SCHOLARSHIPS TO GO THROUGH THE REAL ESTATE COURSE SO THEY CAN YOU KNOW, WE DON'T REALLY CARE IF THEY BECOME A REAL ESTATE AGENT AT THE END I MEAN IF THEY LIKE THE BUSINESS IT'S GREAT. BUT JUST THE FINANCIAL
EDUCATION THEY GET ALONG THE WAY IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE KIDS YOU KNOW, THEY'VE THEY'RE IN RENTAL HOUSING AND THEY DON'T KNOW HOW THIS OWNER GOT TO THE PLACE WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO TO BUY
THAT. SO IT'S SO REWARDING IF YOU'RE ABLE TO IF A KID HAS AN INTEREST IN A CERTAIN SUBJECT YOU CAN PUT THEM TOGETHER WITH WITH THE RIGHT PARTY. I THINK HAVING INTERESTING
BUSINESS COHORTS GO TO THESE PROGRAMS IS IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT KIDS GETS KIDS TO SHOW UP YOU KNOW AND NEW SLOTS PROGRAM IS YOU KNOW SOME OF THIS STUFF THAT I THINK I
WOULD THINK WAS SUPER BORING LIKE LOOKING AT A CHECK AND SEEING WHAT IS FAKE AND WHAT IS WHAT ARE ALL THESE KIDS WERE FASCINATED BY IT YOU KNOW SO IT'S IT'S SO IMPORTANT AND
THERE IS A THIRST FOR THAT KNOWLEDGE AND THEY DO AFTER GOING TO A REALITY FAIR WHICH IS BASICALLY THEY THEY GET SOME MONEY AND THEY GO AROUND AND YOU KNOW THEY HAVE CHOICES
WHERE WHERE YOU WANT TO LIVE, WHAT YOU WANT TO BUY. IT'S VERY EYE OPENING AT THE END. YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED $60,000 NOT BEING A LOT OF MONEY AFTER YOU CHOP IT UP. YOU KNOW, THEY SEE IT IN QUOTE
UNQUOTE REALITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNSELOR MURPHY COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
THANK YOU THIS CONVERSATION THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THIS CONVERSATION ALWAYS TRIGGERS SO MUCH IN TERMS OF LIKE THINKING ABOUT HOW WEALTH IS CREATED AND WHO HAS
IT AND WHO DOESN'T. IT'S REALLY HARD TO DIVORCE LIKE FROM FINANCIAL LITERACY THE IDEA OF LIKE THE SYSTEMIC BARRIERS TO WEALTH CREATION,
SYSTEMIC BARRIERS TO HOMEOWNERSHIP THAT HAVE LED TO A CERTAIN COMMUNITIES HAVING AND AND NOT HAVING BUT I DO
LIKE AS ONE OF THOSE KIDS THAT TOOK MY PAYCHECK FROM THE JACK ASTOR'S AND THEN WE WENT TO GALLERY MALL IN CAMBRIDGE SIDE AND BOUGHT OUR JORDANS AND ALL OF THAT.
SO I THINK THIS IS A NOT TO SAY THAT THE FINANCIAL IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAPPEN FOR THAT TO HAPPEN BUT I ALSO THINK THAT THERE'S ALSO THAT THERE'S A CONNECTED JUSTICE COMPONENT THAT I THINK IS ALSO IMPORTANT
UM I WHEN I WHEN I THINK ABOUT THIS CONVERSATION I OFTEN THINK ABOUT PEOPLE WHO LIKE WHO GREW UP WITHOUT ANY RESOURCES WHO ARE TRYING TO MAKE MONEY
QUICKLY AND THEREFORE MAY GET INVOLVED IN ACTIVITIES WHERE IT FEELS LIKE YOU CAN MAKE A QUICK BUCK WHETHER IT'S LIKE DRUG DEALING OR ILLEGAL ACTIVITY THAT THEN GETS YOU INTO THE
CARCERAL SYSTEM AND ALL THESE LAY OFTEN AND THINKING ABOUT IF KIDS UNDERSTOOD OR IF PEOPLE IF THE SAME PEOPLE OFTEN UNDERSTOOD THE COMPOUNDING EFFECTS OF HOW OF MONEY THAT
THAT WOULD BE THE STRATEGY RIGHT LIKE THAT INSTEAD OF TURNING TO LIKE ILLICIT ACTIVITY FINISHED IT LIKE THAT YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN MONEY MAKE MONEY THAT THAT IS AN
AVENUE FOR WHILE REBUILDING AND I'M WONDERING IF YOU FOUND THAT TO BE LIKE AN EFFECTIVE WAY WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO PEOPLE ESPECIALLY OUR YOUNG BLACK AND
BROWN KIDS ABOUT WEALTH BUILDING AND WEALTH CREATION LIKE HERE'S ANOTHER WAY OF IT'S NOT AS QUICK BUT MAYBE THE GUARANTEED WAY OF LIKE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO INVEST YOUR MONEY
IN AN IRA OR A ROTH IRA AND THEY SEE STEADY RETURNS OVER OVER TIME WONDERING IF THAT'S THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU'VE HAD AND HAVE YOU SEEN SORT OF LIKE LIGHT BULBS TURN ON WHEN YOU HAVE THAT
CONVERSATION? OH, THAT'S SORRY. THAT'S JUST LIKE A BUNCH OF JOKES I'VE HAD IN MY HEAD FOR SOME TIME BUT I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT FIRST OF ALL YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHO YOUR DEMOGRAPHIC IS RIGHT?
YOU CAN'T JUST HAVE A COOKIE CUTTER APPROACH WHEN IT COMES TO PERSONAL FINANCE. SO FOR A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS, FOR A LOT OF OUR DEMOGRAPHIC STEVE MENTIONED IT BEFORE THAT
THEIR IDEA OF THE WEALTH IS WHAT THEY SEE ON TV, WHAT THEIR FAVORITE MUSICIAN ATHLETE ENTERTAINER IS DOING.
SO WE TALK ABOUT ALL THESE CELEBRITIES THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED FINANCIAL PROBLEMS AND WHERE THEY ARE RIGHT NOW SO WHEN THEY'RE WATCHING TV AND THEY'RE SEEING THEIR FAMOUS MUSICIAN, THEY DON'T
NECESSARILY LOOK AT THE FINANCIAL ROLES THAT THEY EXPERIENCE. AND THEN WE TALK ABOUT AS FAR AS FOR INSTANCE A KANYE WEST OR OR EVEN BRITNEY SPEARS OR
JOHNNY DEPP OR NICOLAS CAGE. THEY'VE ALL EXPERIENCED FINANCIAL ISSUES. THEN WE TALK ABOUT THE OTHER SIDE THESE INDIVIDUALS WITH
HIGH NET WORTH AND HIGH NET WORTH INDIVIDUALS. SO WE'LL PUT UP A PICTURE OF JEFF BEZOS. WE'LL PUT A PICTURE OF ELON MUSK. WE'LL PUT A PICTURE OF LARRY ELLISON.
WE'LL PUT UP A PICTURE OF BILL GATES AND WE'LL ACTUALLY HAVE THE STUDENTS LOOK AT HOW THEY'RE ABLE TO BUILD WEALTH. AND YOU ALSO ANALYZE AS FAR AS WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR
PARTICULAR GOALS WHAT DO YOU GUYS WANT TO ACCOMPLISH IN LIFE? AND OBVIOUSLY THEY INTERNALIZE WHAT THEY SEE ON A REGULAR BASIS RIGHT?
BUT WHEN WE WHEN YOU REALLY GET THROUGH THE CRUX OF IT, WHAT ARE THEY TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IN LIFE? YOU'LL FIND OUT AS FAR AS A LOT OF THEM HAVE SOME HONORABLE GOALS. THEY WANT TO HELP THEIR FAMILY .
THEY WANT A PATH TO HOMEOWNERSHIP. WELL, HOW BEST ARE YOU GOING TO DO THAT? YOU CAN DO IT WORKING 9 TO 5 EVERY SINGLE DAY. YOU CAN DO IT DOING SOME
ILLICIT ACTIVITIES. BUT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE LONG RUN? SO WE'LL ACTUALLY PULL UP SHORTLY AFTER WE'LL PULL UP A COMPOUND INTEREST CALCULATOR AND WE'LL TELL THEM AS FAR AS
AN INVESTMENT OF $500 AT A RATE OF 7% WOULD YIELD SO MUCH IN 30 YEARS 20 YEARS THAT'S HOW YOU ACCUMULATE WEALTH, HEAVEN AND THAT AND THAT'S BEEN
SUCCESSFUL. YES, THAT'S FOR A LOT OF SCHOOLS, ESPECIALLY THE INNER CITIES. THAT'S WHAT WE LEAD WITH. THAT'S HOW WE'RE ABLE TO GET THEM TO REALLY GRASP WHAT WE'RE
TRYING TO DO BECAUSE WITH THAT FOCUS IN MIND IT'S A LOT EASIER TO SELL THEM ON EVERYTHING ELSE ESPECIALLY BANKING AND CREDIT AND SOME OF THOSE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY AS
INTERESTING LIKE TAXES. BUT WITH THAT IN MIND WE HAVE THEM KEEP THEIR GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS ON THE DESK THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS WAS NINE WEEK 11 WEEKS AND CUT
OFF THE NOISE TO EVERYTHING ELSE. RIGHT. SO WHEN THEY'RE WATCHING TV OR WHAT HAVE YOU THAT IS INHIBITING THEM FROM ACHIEVING THEIR ULTIMATE GOAL SO THAT
SEARCH STRATEGY THAT WE WORK THAT WE USE QUITE OFTEN I THINK TO FOLLOW UP DELAYED GRATIFICATION GETTING AN UNDERSTANDING THAT TO PUT THINGS OFF A BIT YOU KNOW, NOT
NOT JUST BUY THINGS IMMEDIATELY IS IMPORTANT. A LOT OF THEM A LOT OF THE KIDS THAT WE'VE WE'VE TALKED TO YEAH FAMILY THEY MENTIONED FAMILY I WANT TO BRING THIS BACK THIS
KNOWLEDGE BACK TO MY FAMILY BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF RECENTLY IMMIGRATED KIDS AND YOU KNOW SOMETIMES THEIR PARENTS DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH SO THEY'RE THEY'RE LEARNING EVERYTHING AND THEN, YOU KNOW,
KIND OF GUIDE TO HELPING GUIDE THEIR PARENTS THROUGH. SO IF WE GET FINANCIAL LITERACY IN SCHOOL, THAT'S NOT ONLY JUST GOING TO AFFECT THESE KIDS, IT'S GOING TO AFFECT THE WHOLE FAMILY, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S IT'S
GOT TO BE CONSISTENT, YOU KNOW, OVER TIME. SO WE HAVE SOME KIDS THAT HAVE STARTED TO MAKE SOME MONEY SO THEN THE CONVERSATION COMES UP DO I BUY THE NEW MUSTANG?
YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE I CAN. BUT AGAIN IT GOES BACK TO YOU HAVE FOUR BUILDING WEALTH. YOU HAVE TO DELAY YOUR YOUR GRATIFICATION AND YOU HAVE TO
KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR GOAL WHICH IS TO CREATE A BASE SO YOU'RE NOT YOU'RE NOT GOING WEEK TO WEEK ON A PAYCHECK AND IF THAT PAYCHECK DISAPPEARS YOU'RE IN
SERIOUS FINANCIAL DIFFICULTY. SO IT TAKES IT TAKES CONSISTENCY. SO THAT'S WHY THESE LONGER PROGRAMS GIVE A GIVE A CHANCE FOR THE FIRST OF ALL FOR THE KIDS TO OPEN UP AND TALK ABOUT
IT BECAUSE IT'S IT'S A TABOO SUBJECT. UM, SOME OF THE KIDS YOU KNOW MAYBE THEY HAD FINANCIAL DIFFICULTY WITHIN THE FAMILY AND YOU KNOW MAYBE THEIR SOCIAL
SECURITY WAS USED TO OPEN UP AN ACCOUNT OR WHATEVER SO THEY'RE ALREADY LIKE KIND OF NOT FEELING GREAT ABOUT IT AND YOU KNOW, KIND OF AVOIDING THE SUBJECT. SO IT'S THE CONVERSATION IS IS
VERY IMPORTANT TO GET GET THEM TO OPEN UP. WELL THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING TO DISRUPT SORT OF HOW OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TALK ABOUT MONEY WHICH IS OFTEN TABOO.
I'LL SAY THAT FOR MYSELF GROWING UP IT'S ON A CONVERSATION THAT WAS REALLY HARD. I'D LOVE TO SEE HOW WE CAN SCALE SO THAT MORE STUDENTS CAN HAVE EXPOSURE BECAUSE I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO THANK YOU. I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE ELDER WEATHERSPOON AT THE GET LIT PROGRAM. THEY STARTED A FINANCIAL LITERACY COMPONENT. THEY HAD THEIR AN EVENT THEIR GALA THIS THIS WEEK. SO I JUST WANT TO UPLIFT AND
THANK EVERYONE WHO'S WORKING TO SORT OF ENSURE THAT OUR YOUNG KIDS HAVE FINANCIAL LITERACY AND ARE ABLE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MONEY. SO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS AFTERNOON.
THANK YOU. MR. AND THANK YOU TO THE SPONSORS. I THINK THAT EVERYONE IS WORKING ON THIS ISSUE SO THANK YOU. COUNCIL PRESIDENT NEXT UP WE HAVE PANELS FROM HIM. THANK YOU. ASIDE FROM FINANCIAL LITERACY,
THEY SHOULD ALSO TEACH YOUNG PEOPLE ETIQUETTE AND HOW TO SHOW UP IN THIS WORLD. RIGHT. BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE BENEFITED FROM THOSE CLASSES TOO. SO. WELL, LET ME TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT MONEY AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU MENTIONED REAL ESTATE. THERE WAS A ALEX EDWARDS NOT SURE IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH ALEX E EDWARDS.
HE BOUGHT HIS FIRST HOUSE WHILE HE WAS STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL AND HE ENDED UP HAVING TO FORECLOSE IT. BUT THAT EXPERIENCE REALLY TAUGHT HIM A LOT ABOUT WEALTH
BUILDING AND NOW HE DOES A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE CITY OF BOSTON AND ALSO HAS BEEN TEACHING YOUNG PEOPLE HOW TO FLIP BRICKS IF YOU WILL, TO GET
INTO HOME OWNERSHIP AS PATHWAYS OUT OF POVERTY. RIGHT. SO IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF HIM YOU SHOULD CHECK HIM OUT AND FIGURE OUT HOW YOU ALL CAN GO CONSPIRE TOGETHER BECAUSE I DO
BELIEVE THERE'S SOME REALLY GOOD ENERGY THERE WITH EACH OTHER. SO ALEXI EDWARDS I HAVE A SMALL NUMBER I CALL THAT YOU HAVE TWO WORDS. OKAY, I'M A NETWORK WEAVER. I LIKE TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
SO I LOVE TO SEE WHEN PEOPLE ARE DOING REALLY GOOD THINGS SO CONNECTING SO HAPPY TO DO THAT AND I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE STORY THAT YOU MENTIONED ABOUT
THE YOUNG PERSON WHO WANTED TO HELP THEIR MOM BUT THEN THEY WERE ROCKING $400 PAIR OF SNEAKERS BECAUSE WHEN I WAS 12 YEARS OLD EVERYBODY HAD
NIKE'S EXCEPT ME AND I ENDED UP GOING TO AN INSURANCE AGENCY THAT HAD JUST MOVED TO MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND I WAS LIKE I KNOW EVERYBODY AROUND HERE DO A FLIER AND I'LL HELP YOU PROMOTE
IT. ALL I WANTED WAS A PAIR OF NIKE'S OKAY, BUT THAT WAS MY NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. I WANTED TO BE IN MIND YOU WE WERE POOR SO MY MOTHER WAS NOT HAPPY WITH MY DECISION MAKING
SKILLS BUT I ONLY MADE $26. THIS WAS A LONG TIME AGO $26 PROBABLY LIKE $70 TODAY. BUT IT WAS SUCH A PIVOTAL MOMENT IN MY LIFE.
I WAS I WAS 12 BUT THE POWER OF REALLY BEING ABLE TO HAVE MY OWN MONEY AND TO WORK FOR IT EVEN IF THAT WAS JUST THE ONLY GOAL I THINK IS THE LESSON AS I
HEAR YOU ALL TALKING ABOUT IS REALLY CHANGING YOUNG PEOPLE'S PERCEPTION ABOUT WHAT AN INVESTMENT LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT THAT RETURN ON THAT INVESTMENT HOW IT CAN MULTIPLY IF YOU ARE
THINKING ABOUT JUST BEYOND THE IMMEDIATE SATISFACTION THAT YOU GET FROM ROCKING A PAIR OF SNEAKERS. SO I SAY ALL OF THIS BECAUSE I'M CURIOUS HOW ARE YOU GRAPPLING WITH THAT DYNAMIC THE
NEED TO HAVE THE BEST FIT AND LOOK GOOD AND I GET BULLIED AT SCHOOL BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, RIGHT? WHILE ALSO TRYING TO BALANCE THE FACT THAT THERE IS AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO BE FINANCIALLY MATURE. WHAT'S HOW ARE YOU HOW YOU GRAPPLING WITH THAT RIGHT NOW ESPECIALLY IN THIS CULTURE
DOING OR YOU HOW WE HOW WE ADDRESS THAT ISSUE WHICH THANK YOU SO MUCH IS SOMETHING ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THIS YOUNG DEMOGRAPHIC THAT'S THE WAY THEY THINK.
WE TALK A LOT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MARKETING GIMMICKS, RIGHT AS FAR AS WHAT FIFTH AVENUE WANTS YOU TO PURCHASE, THEY'RE TELLING YOU WHAT YOU WANT NOT NECESSARILY WHAT YOU NEED.
THE PROBLEM WITH A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND EVEN ADULTS WE LIVE FOR OTHER PEOPLE. MOST OF THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE IS NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE THAT IS BECAUSE
OF THE FACT THAT WE WANT TO FIT IN RIGHT. AND WHEN YOU HAVE THAT MINDSET BANKRUPT IS IN YOUR FUTURE AND WE TELL KIDS THAT A LOT
OF ADULTS AND EVEN SOME YOUNG PEOPLE THEY KNOW THE GAME OF MONOPOLY WHEREAS EVERYONE ELSE IS PLAYING MONOPOLY THEY'RE JUST GIVING IN TO THAT
MINDSET. THEY NEED TO FLIP THE SCRIPT, THEY NEED TO INCORPORATE THE GAME OF MONOPOLY INTO THEIR OWN LIFE AND IT'S ALL ABOUT
BUILDING WEALTH SO THAT YOU HAVE THE OPTION, YOU HAVE THE PEACE OF MIND, YOU HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO DO AS YOU PLEASE . BUT WHEN YOU LISTEN TO OTHER PEOPLE AND ADULTS ARE GUILTY
OF THIS AS WELL IS THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO ACHIEVE ANY OF YOUR GOALS AND LET'S BE BLUNT SO WHEN YOU GO OUT THERE AND YOU PURCHASE THAT 300 $400 PAIR OF SNEAKERS OR WHATEVER IS
UPON US AND YOU WANT THAT TRIPLE GOOSE JACKET THAT'S COST $1,000, WHAT ARE YOU REALLY DOING TO YOUR FUTURE? SO IT'S HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE STUDENTS
WHERE IT'S PROBABLY NOT CONVENTIONAL TO SAY THE LEAST, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY NEED TO HEAR AND EVERYONE'S GOALS ARE PRETTY MUCH THE SAME WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT.
THEY WANT ACTION. THEY WANT STABILITY, THEY WANT PEACE OF MIND. SO HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT ACHIEVING THOSE GOALS? $300 PAIR OF SNEAKERS IS NOT
GOING TO HAVE YOU ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS WHATSOEVER. IF YOU'RE SAYING EARLY ON ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAD THEM DO A FINANCIAL PLAN OR WRITE DOWN
WHAT THEIR GOALS ARE OR WHAT CONFLICTS WITH THOSE GOALS $300 WE COULD TEACH YOU HOW TO MAKE THAT INTO $1,000 SO WE'LL ACTUALLY GO THROUGH THE PROCESS
OF BUILDING THAT WEALTH SO THAT YOU COULD ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS WITHIN THE TIMEFRAME THAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE. SO I THINK HOMEOWNERSHIP IS A BIG WAY TO BUILD WEALTH. SO WE'RE ALWAYS DRIVING KIDS
WHEN THEY START TO MAKE MONEY IN WHATEVER CAREER THEY HAVE. DON'T BUY THE CAR, YOU KNOW, SUFFER ON THE CAR. YOUR FOCUS IS TO GET YOURSELF INTO A HOUSE BECAUSE THAT'S
GOING TO BE A GREAT INVESTMENT. YOU'LL BE IN THERE. YOU KNOW IT'S IT'LL HAVE A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD AND YOU'LL YOU'LL BE IN THE MARKET AND YOU START TO BUILD WEALTH AS FAR AS
GET RICH QUICK I MEAN IT'S EVERYWHERE I HAD TO TALK TO A KID ABOUT THERE WAS SOME YOUTUBE CHANNEL OR INSTAGRAM CHANNEL WHERE GIVE ME $1,000
AND I'LL TEACH YOU HOW TO, YOU KNOW, FLIP A HOUSE OR FLIP LAND ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. I WAS LIKE IT'S NOT THAT EASY. YOU KNOW, NOTHING'S EVER THAT EASY. JUST KEEP FOCUSING ON WHAT
YOU'RE DOING. IT'S IT MAY NOT BE AS QUICK OR AS SEXY BUT YOU JUST FOCUS ON WHAT YOU HAVE. BUT IT'S HARD TO BRING THOSE KIDS BACK DOWN BECAUSE THEY
THEY'RE TRYING TO GET AHEAD. THEY'RE THEY'RE CHOMPING AT THE BIT TO GET AHEAD BUT THEY HAVE TO BE SMART. THAT'S WHY HAVING GOOD MENTORS AROUND THEM IS IS VERY IMPORTANT. I THINK AND I KNOW MY TIME WENT
AWAY. CAN I SAY ONE MORE THING? THANK YOU AND I WANT I WANT TO QUICKLY AFFIRM YOU HAD MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT RAPPERS AND TELEVISION AND ALL THAT.
SO I WORKED AT MTV FOR TEN YEARS AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE MARKETING STRATEGY IS THAT THEY WOULD STUDY HIP HOP CULTURE, RIGHT? THEY WOULD PACKAGE IT AND THEN
THEY WOULD SELL IT RIGHT BACK TO THE KIDS WHO WERE THE ONES WHO CREATED IT. BUT THEN THEY BECAME THE CONSUMERS OF IT. RIGHT. AND SO I THINK THAT THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAID ABOUT HOW WE CAN ALSO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND HOW THEY THEY ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEED AND THAT THEY COULD BE MAKING THAT MONEY INSTEAD OF BEING SOLD A VISION AND SO I I HEAR YOU.
I'VE SEEN IT AND I KNOW HOW THEY DO IT AND THAT'S WHY OUR YOUNG PEOPLE THAT'S WHY WE ALL WHERE WE ARE SUCH AS YOUNG PEOPLE WE'RE ALL WE ARE PRODUCTS OF MEDIA AND MARKETING
AND SO I THINK THAT IS INGRAINED A LITTLE BIT IN ALL OF US. SO SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK. I REALLY DO APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN WENDY, MY COLLEAGUES WANT TO STICK AROUND
FOR THIS DO YEP. COUNCILOR FLYNN. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR, AND I'LL I'LL BE BRIEF. I JUST WANT TO ASK STEVE A QUICK QUESTION OR COMMENT AND AGAIN THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND WORK YOU BOTH ARE
DOING. STEVE ONE OF THE POINTS I LISTEN TO YOU AND THAT REALLY RESONATED IS AS PART OF FINANCIAL LITERACY HAVING
GOOD MENTORS AND WE TALKED ABOUT YOU KNOW YOUNG PEOPLE YOU KNOW MAYBE INVESTING IN HOUSING, MAYBE NOT BUT FOR FOR
A YOUNG PERSON TO INVEST IN HOUSING AT AN EARLY AGE PROBABLY DOESN'T SOUND TO ME DOES IT SOUND LIKE THE BEST BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM?
BUT BUT YOU ARE RIGHT IF YOU HAD GOOD MENTORS THAT YOU TRUST AND YOU RESPECT AN OLDER PERSON, A TEACHER YOU KNOW MAYBE THEY COULD GIVE YOU GOOD
SOUND ADVICE FINANCIAL ADVICE IN LEAD YOU ON A PATH TO, YOU KNOW, FINANCIAL SUCCESS INSTEAD OF TRYING THESE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS TO GET TO GET RICH.
BUT BUT THAT'S ALSO PART OF FINANCIAL LITERACY AS WELL, ISN'T IT? YEAH, I THINK IT'S A BIG PART BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY BEEN
TOWARDS HAVE ALREADY MADE THE MISTAKES YOU KNOW SO WE CAN WE CAN KIND OF FROM EXPERIENCE GIVE GIVE GUIDANCE ALONG THE WAY TO THE TO THE KIDS YOU KNOW NO I DON'T DO THAT.
YOU KNOW THAT'S NOT THAT'S NOT THE PATH THE HOMEOWNERSHIP GOAL IS A LOFTY GOAL BUT IT'S IT'S IT'S A STAR ON THE HORIZON AND IF YOU HAD IT TO TOWARDS IT
THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO DO ALL THE OTHER THINGS. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A JOB THAT YOU'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT YOU LIKE. YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME SOME BUDGETING PUT IN PLACE SO YOU'RE GETTING TO A PLACE WHERE
THERE AND YOU THERE'S SO MUCH EDUCATION MATERIAL OUT THERE TO AND PROGRAMS OUT THERE THAT CAN HELP YOU ALONG THE WAY THAT YOU HAVE TO BECOME A STUDENT OF OF
BUSINESS AND OF FINANCE AND AND A LOT OF KIDS REALLY LEAN INTO THAT AND SOME OF THEM GET A LITTLE BIT OF IT AND OR YOU MAY NOT THINK THEY GOT ANYTHING SO
YOU HAVE NICE AND I WERE TALKING BEFORE THIS AND HE WAS APPROACHED BY A STUDENT YOU KNOW MAYBE HE HAD FIVE YEARS AGO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT
OF YEAH SO IN THE PAST OR EVEN RECENTLY IF WE PARTNER WITH A LOT OF INSTITUTIONS THAT HIRE HIGH SCHOOL TEENAGERS FOR THE
INTERNSHIP PROGRAM IT'S USUALLY A SEVEN WEEK PROGRAM AND THERE'S ONE STUDENT IN PARTICULAR WHO IS NOW A TEACHER
OR A INSTRUCTOR AT HOLLAND HIGH SCHOOL TOOK OUR COURSE WHEN HE WAS JUST 1415 YEARS OLD. THIS WAS TRUE BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD AND BLUE CROSS BLUE
SHIELD PART OF THEIR INTERNSHIP THEY HAD TO TAKE OUR PROGRAM. THEY HAD TO TAKE OUR COURSE AND THE STUDENT TURNED AND SAID, YOU KNOW YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE ME. THIS IS JUST SEVERAL WEEKS AGO
AND I SAID I'M SORRY I DO NOT IS LIKE BUT I TOOK YOUR PROGRAM WHEN I WAS A STUDENT WAY BACK WHEN BUT THROUGH BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD AT THE TIME I
DIDN'T REALLY TAKE IN A LOT OF THE LESSONS THAT YOU TAUGHT ME. BUT MOVING FORWARD OR FAST FORWARD TO NOW IT'S REALLY COMING TO FRUITION SO SOMETIMES YOU DON'T SEE THE FRUITS
OF YOUR LABOR RIGHT AWAY. IT DISGUISES ITSELF BUT THEN REAPPEARS IN THE FUTURE SO SOMETIMES YOU SEE STUDENTS THE WHEELS ARE TURNING RIGHT AWAY.
YOU KNOW, SOME STUDENTS WILL APPLY WHAT THEY LEARNED RIGHT IMMEDIATELY. HOWEVER, SOME STUDENTS NOT SO MUCH. IT MAY TAKE SOME TIME BUT THAT WAS THE THE LESSON THAT WE KIND
OF TOOK IN THAT DAY AND THAT UNDERLINES THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF LISTENING THEN IT'S WORTHWHILE. YOU KNOW, IT CLICKS AT SOME POINT.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU TO THE TO BOTH OF YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU.
AND MR CHAIR, I HAVE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. AND COUNSELOR FLYNN, AS A MAN, DID YOU HAVE THAT? AND WE DO HAVE LOTS OF OKAY.
WELL, I WANT TO THANK OUR PANELISTS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND FOR ANSWERING OUR QUESTIONS. WE ARE NOT GOING TO WANT TO DISMISS YOU BOTH. WE DO HAVE ONE PERSON WHO WANTS
TO TESTIFY VIA ZOOM FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY SO WE WILL GO AHEAD AND PULL THAT AND THANK YOU.
I READ THE NAME IT'S CALLED PLEASE COME THIS VIA ZOOM. SO FOR THOSE TESTIFYING ON ZOOM, PLEASE ACCEPT THE MESSAGE ASKING YOU TO BE PROMPTED TO PANELISTS WHEN IT APPEARS AND
WITH US WE HAVE THE FAMOUS ALTHOUGH LITTLE SPOON THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. I'M FAMOUS. OH MY GOSH BUT AFTERNOON COUNCILOR HENRY SANTANA,
EDUCATION CHAIR AND MEMBERS COUNSELOR MURPHY AND COUNSELOR FLYNN. IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU TODAY WITH A FOCUS ON LITERACY AS MANY OF US HAVE WORKED TOGETHER AND TAKEN PART IN OUR GETNET
PROGRAMS AS FOUNDER AND CEO OF THE WITHERSPOON INSTITUTE ALSO KNOWN BY AN ACRONYM. WHEN WE RECENTLY CELEBRATED OUR 19TH ANNIVERSARY GALA AND AWARDS AT OUR PARTNERS SITE AT
THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY RECENTLY RENAMED THE SHAH ROXBURY BRANCH WILL BE HONORED 41 STELLAR BOSTONIANS NATIONAL PARTNERS INCLUDING BISHOP BISHOP MITCHELL G.
TAYLOR OF NEW YORK WHO CREATED URBAN UNBOUND OVER 30 YEARS AGO TO TEACH FINANCIAL LITERACY TO FAMILIES IN THE HOUSING PROJECT WITH BELL PAY TAXES AND BUDGETING TO GROW
INTO OWNING THEIR OWN CREDIT UNION WITH TWO BRANCHES THE WITHERSPOON INSTITUTE GAVE THE BISHOP OUR NATIONAL FINANCIAL LITERACY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS
OUR POST COVID LEARNING CRISIS INITIATIVE WIN HAS BEEN LOOKING AT AND SURROUNDING OURSELVES WITH LOCAL AND NATIONAL LEADERS AND MODELS TO FORTIFY OUR YOUTH IN BOSTON AS WE ARE ENGAGING
THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS TO ASSIST US IN OUR WIN FINANCIAL LITERACY MODEL BEGUN LAST YEAR IN ADDITION TO OUR GET LIT READING PROGRAM IN COLLABORATION WITH PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND AFTERSCHOOL
PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE NO BOOKS SNOWBALL AT BY COMMUNITY LEADER TONY RICHARDS AND I'M PROUD TO SAY MANY OF YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS
I KNOW LUCY AND ALSO JULIA WAS AT OUR AWARDS CEREMONY LAST NIGHT BUT ALSO ALL OF YOUR ESTEEMED EDUCATION PANELS HAVE ALSO WORKED WITH US WITH GET LIT AND I JUST SUPREMELY WANT
TO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU HAVE BEEN DOING IN THE COMMUNITY. IT DOES REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHEN THE CHILDREN SEE YOU THEY GET TO INTERVIEW YOU. THEY GET TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO AND ASPIRING TO BE
LEADERS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT. YOU ARE A PRIME EXAMPLE OF LEADERSHIP THAT TOUCHING THE LIVES OF YOUNG PEOPLE. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU'VE BEEN DOING WITH
US AND OF COURSE FOR YOUR PANEL DISCUSSION TODAY I STAND BEFORE YOU WITH URGENT CONVICTION AROUND FINANCIAL LITERACY BECAUSE IT MUST BE A CORNERSTONE IN BOSTON PUBLIC
SCHOOLS IF WE ARE TO EQUIP OUR YOUTH FOR A FUTURE THAT DEMANDS ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE AND COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP. FOR NEARLY TWO DECADES WIN HAS BEEN A BEACON OF TRANSFORMATION
IN EDUCATION WITH OUR FLAGSHIP IT LIT BOOK BAND LITERACY PROGRAM UNIQUELY BLENDING READING AND FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT THROUGH INNOVATIVE GET THE GET FIT INITIATIVE IN
COLLABORATION WITH CAMBRIDGE SAVINGS BANK AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS SUCH AS THE EAST BOSTON LEGION BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, SOUTH BOSTON NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE, MADISON PARK HIGH SCHOOL
AND CATHOLIC CHARITIES IN DORCHESTER AT THEIR TEEN CENTER AT SAINT PETER'S. WE PROVIDE YOUNG PEOPLE NOT JUST WITH KNOWLEDGE BUT WITH THE PRACTICAL SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE TO NAVIGATE PERSONAL
FINANCE AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP. EMBEDDING FINANCIAL LITERACY INTO OUR SCHOOLS IS NOT MERELY AN EDUCATION IMPERATIVE. IT IS A MORAL OBLIGATION TO IGNITE ENDURING OPPORTUNITIES
AND LEADERSHIP IN EVERY CHILD ACROSS THE CITY. AS YOU MAY KNOW, POST-COVID WORLD BANK DID A STUDY THAT SAID $17 TRILLION WILL BE LOST
TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE IN THIS POST-COVID ERA BECAUSE THE SLIPPAGE IN THE SCHOOLS WILL BRING ABOUT LOST WAGES BECAUSE THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO COMPETE
ON THE WORLD STAGE WHEN WE HAVE SEEN FIRSTHAND AND THAT EDUCATION IS THE SPARK THAT IGNITES LEADERSHIP AND TRANSFORMS US NOW THE FUTURES OF OUR CHILDREN TOGETHER LET'S COMMIT TO LIGHTING THE PATH
TOWARDS ECONOMIC EQUITY AND GENERATIONAL CHANGE FOR BOSTON'S NEXT LEADERS. CENTRAL TO THIS MISSION IS OUR 30 ANNUAL GET LIT THANKSGIVING COOK OFF ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER
15TH, 2025 AT FLORIAN HALL IN DORCHESTER. IT'S A SPIRITED CULINARY SHOWDOWN BETWEEN THE BOSTON POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT GET LIT LITERACY AND FINANCIAL LITERACY
GAMES BEYOND THE FINANCIAL COMPETITION AND THE IRRESISTIBLE AROMA OF THE CREATIVE DISHES THAT LIES A POWERFUL STORY WOVEN BENEATH EVERY WING KID OLIVE OIL
CUPCAKE AND A TEN WEEK JOURNEY THROUGH ALL GET LIT GET FIT FINANCIAL LITERACY PROGRAM TO DEVELOP WITH CAMBRIDGE SAVINGS BANK, LOCAL BAKERS AND THE AGE STRONG SENIORS PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM IS FAR MORE THAN
LESSONS IT IS AN INTERGENERATIONAL BEACON EQUIPPING OUR YOUNG WITH THE CONFIDENCE, SAVVY AND ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS NEEDED TO NAVIGATE TODAY'S FINANCIAL CHALLENGES.
WHILE GIRL SCOUTS SELL COOKIES OUR WINK IS PROUDLY SO ROYAL CUPCAKES SWEET SYMBOLS OF CREATIVITY, RESILIENCE AND EMPOWERMENT WHERE WE CHANGE OUR
CHILDREN TO BE A BOSS TO ACT LIKE A BOSS, WALK LIKE A BOSS, TALK LIKE A BOSS AND BE A BOSS IN THEIR BUSINESS AS TAUGHT THROUGH A LIVE ACTION MONEY GAME CALLED WEEK IT'S A SMART
MINI GAME WHERE KIDS LEARN TO OVERCOME BUSINESS OBSTACLES BY UTILIZING SMART GOALS STRATEGIC MEASURABLE, ATTAINABLE, REALISTIC AND TIME BOUND MEASURES TO SUCCEED TO COIN THE
RAPPER DJ CORRECT IF IT DON'T MAKE MONEY IT DON'T MAKE SENSE MONTHLY I'LL GET MY PROGRAMS BRINGS TOGETHER RITA LEADERS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE CORPORATE, POLITICAL, EDUCATIONAL AND MEDIA TO FAN
THE FLAMES OF CURIOSITY CRITICAL THINKING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AMONG OUR YOUTH GET LIT ISN'T JUST A PROGRAM IT'S A MOVEMENT A RALLYING CRY DEMANDING EDUCATIONAL JUSTICE
AND OPPORTUNITY. NOW MORE THAN EVER WE MUST UNITE TO ILLUMINATE A FUTURE WHERE EVERY CHILD LIVES SHINES BRIGHTLY, IGNITING MINDS, TRANSFORMING FUTURES AND
ELEVATING COMMUNITIES. PLEASE JOIN US ONE PAGE, ONE CUPCAKE, ONE CONVERSATION AT A TIME TO FUEL THIS UNSTOPPABLE WAVE AND I LEAVE YOU WITH OUR
MOTTO WHICH SAYS IGNITE YOUR LIFE READ, WRITE GET ME THANK YOU SO MUCH OUT OF REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE WITH US AND PROVIDING YOUR TESTIMONY
AND FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO ON BEHALF OF OUR COMMUNITY. GREAT. WELL HE'S REALLY ONE THING AGAIN, ALL OF OUR PANELISTS, ALL OF PEOPLE WHO CAME TODAY
THANKS TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES AND SO THANKS TO THE LEAD SPONSORS FOR BRINGING THIS CONVERSATION. I THOUGHT IT WAS EXTREMELY INFORMATIVE AND INSIGHTFUL AND REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
SO WITH THAT THIS HEARING DOCKET ON NUMBER 0318 IT'S
ADJOURNED. THANK YOU