January's 30 Days of GOOD challenge is Financial Fitness. To support this, we are asking you to promote financial health in your community. The top-voted idea will be granted $500 to make their idea a reality.

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Winning Idea by tgonder

11Comments

Providing financial education for urban youth through peer mentorship and customized curricula.

Website

http://moneythink.org

The Idea

Moneythink breaks the cycle of poverty by providing peer-mentorship and customized, pop-culture curriculum to high school students in urban areas. We train talented college students to mentor urban youth in financial life skills and entrepreneurship, then connect youth to professional opportunities.

The Specifics

Moneythink started in 2009 as a small club at the University of Chicago. With less than $15,000, Moneythink has scaled to 17 urban campus communities nationwide and has become a national student movement striking at the intersection of the two greatest domestic crises of our time: a failing economy and a failing education system. In 2012, as its founder graduates from college, Moneythink will be setting up offices in Chicago to grow the student network. In August 2012, we'll be hosting our first-annual National Leadership Institute for chapter leaders to bring the movement together for the first time ever. We need this grant to print already-very-discounted conference materials for attendees (curricula, workbooks, ops-guides). Thx GOOD!!!

Discussion

11Comments

Exactly what I would expect out of the University of Chicago: an organization that exists to hide the causes of poverty through victim-blaming. Does it even need to be said that Chicago's blighted districts are not poor because there is a population of financial ignoramuses? Apparently it does...

by great.white.snark

4 months ago | Reply

dude don't be a dick bro

by investopedia95

4 months ago | Reply

If you were at all aware of the urban spiral in terms of absent development occurring in the South Side (similar to Detroit, D.C., Cleveland, and other urban centers in the US) you would understand that in spite of the University's more than poor history with community, the University as well as organizations such as this are taking steps to improve and correct current urban blight.

by gg10

4 months ago | Reply

I like the peer-learning approach here, we all know that HS students are most influenced by their friends!

by silverman.anna

4 months ago | Reply

Mentorship like this is so important. I'm thankful for all the mentors I've had in my life who have had the deepest impact for my personal and professional growth, I only wish I had my own financial advisor to connect with growing up... in fact, I still do!

by Hana Ros

4 months ago | Reply

Fantastic program and model here, guys! Moneythink looks ready to take on the world!

by bsh

4 months ago | Reply

I love the cause and the impact that you have made so far. I read about you guys in the Chronicle! Keep up the awesome work! http://chronicle.com/article/5-Minutes-With-Morgan-Hartley/129129/

by chi81

4 months ago | Reply

Moneythink is a fantastic program. I haven't been involved with it much because I've had my own career to aspire but my two high-school comrades Chirag Sagar and Ted Gonder have worked their tails off to make this work. It has a bright future because it's under great leadership. That's what being a Crescenta Valley Falcon is all about. They're both gamers, ballers, playmakers, and shot callers. All they do is win.

by goondkaknshan

4 months ago | Reply