Our Programs
Three programs carry our mission forward. Each one combines classes, hands-on workshops, mentorship, and family engagement so learning turns into skills families use right away.
Read to Wealth: Youth Literacy and Financial Empowerment Program
Read to Wealth is our flagship program. It strengthens youth literacy while integrating age-appropriate financial concepts, practical money lessons, culturally relevant learning, and family engagement so that reading gains connect directly to real-world understanding.
The funded initiative is designed to serve 75 at-risk youth in grades 3 through 6 from underserved Aurora, Illinois neighborhoods, with particular attention to students reading below grade level and English Language Learners. Students learn in small groups of approximately 8 to 10 at community partner sites in high-need Aurora neighborhoods.
Each cohort receives 4 hours of small-group literacy instruction each week across a 32 week program. Sessions combine structured literacy, guided reading, and comprehension strategy with age-appropriate financial concepts such as budgeting, saving, entrepreneurship, profit and loss, supply and demand, community economics, and community investment.
Families are part of the learning. Monthly Family Literacy Nights, take-home resources, and family financial discussion guides are provided in English and Spanish so that conversations continue at home.
- 75
- at-risk youth in grades 3 through 6
- 32 weeks
- of instruction with 4 hours each week
- 8 to 10
- students per small learning group
What the program focuses on
- Reading fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary growth
- Age-appropriate financial concepts introduced through stories and activities
- Culturally relevant books and learning materials
- Family engagement that extends learning beyond program hours
- Support designed for below-grade-level readers and English Language Learners
How it is delivered
- Small-group literacy instruction
- Hands-on money activities
- Monthly Family Literacy Nights
- Take-home resources in English and Spanish
- Community partner site sessions
Financial Foundations for Families
Financial Foundations for Families is practical financial education built around the decisions households make every month. Families learn side by side in workshops and courses that turn budgeting, saving, credit, and protection into habits.
This program is education. It is not financial advising, lending, debt settlement, or product sales.
What families learn
- Building and maintaining a household budget
- Saving strategies that fit real family circumstances
- Credit awareness: how credit works and how it is built
- Life insurance awareness and household protection basics
- Short-term and long-term goal setting
- Household money management and financial confidence
How it is delivered
- Family money workshops
- Multi-week financial courses
- One-on-one coaching sessions
- Online tools and resources
- Community seminars
Future Builders
Future Builders is a youth life skills, leadership, and career readiness program. Young people build confidence, explore careers and entrepreneurship, and learn to set goals with mentors who invest in their growth.
How it is delivered
- Leadership labs
- Mentorship
- Career exposure visits
- Entrepreneurship and business workshops
- Goal-setting sessions
What young people practice
- Confidence and communication
- Practical everyday life skills
- Leadership development
- Career exposure and future planning
- Entrepreneurship and business basics
- Goal setting and preparation for long-term success
Partner with us or sponsor a program
Schools, community organizations, funders, and businesses help us reach more students and families. We welcome conversations about sponsorship, program partnerships, and collaborative community work.