Money Matters: Empowering Our Community

 During our recent visit to Joshua’s Heart Foundation’s headquarters in Miami, members of the Junior Investors Club had the meaningful opportunity to engage in hands-on service while exploring the connection between financial education and community impact.

As a Financial Analyst on the Joshua’s Heart Foundation National Board, I was especially proud to bring our club to experience the organization’s work up close. We volunteered at the Joshua’s Heart Food Pantry, helping distribute food to families in need and connecting with the incredible volunteers who keep the operation running every day.

To extend our mission of youth financial education, we also handed out our Junior Investors Club “Money Smarts for Teens” cheat sheet—an introductory guide to key financial literacy concepts designed to empower young people to make smarter money decisions.

It was an inspiring and educational experience that underscored the powerful intersection of service, leadership and financial literacy. Thank you to the amazing Miami team at Joshua’s Heart for the warm welcome and for inspiring our members to think more deeply about the role that service and financial literacy play in building stronger, more resilient communities.

In our most recent Personal Finance session, Gavin and Travis co-taught an engaging class focused on the fundamentals of investing—an exciting topic requested by students in our earlier sessions. From stocks and ETFs to real estate and cryptocurrency, students explored key investment vehicles and learned how risk, return, and time horizon factor into smart decision-making.

To enrich the experience, we welcomed special guest Matt Monn, a financial professional who offered real-world insights into building an investment portfolio and navigating today’s economic landscape. His expertise helped bring the lesson to life, sparking thoughtful questions and discussions among students eager to learn more.

Each participant received a student workbook filled with interactive challenges. Students worked together in small groups to complete the activities—discussing, debating, and applying their new knowledge in real time. One of the highlights was a stock-picking simulation that encouraged collaborative decision-making based on real-world scenarios.

A heartfelt thank you to Matt Monn for inspiring the next generation of investors.

Due to the overwhelmingly positive response from the classes and the request to increase class capacity, Gavin recruited a fellow high school student to assist me in providing one-on-one support as students worked through their sample problems. This collaboration allowed us to engage more personally with the 22+ students who attended,  helping them dive deeper into the topic of taxes. Together, we explored income, sales and property taxes, sparking meaningful discussions about how these concepts impact our daily lives. At the end of the session, we conducted a survey to learn what topics the students wanted to explore next. The overwhelming response? Investing! 

 A big thank you to the  Weston Public Library for continuing to support these educational opportunities. 

Gavin led an interactive session on personal finance, covering budgeting, saving and smart spending habits. Each student received a workbook filled with real-world scenarios and exercises, making the learning experience practical and engaging. He guided students through creating monthly budgets, analyzing spending patterns and setting realistic savings goals, sparking meaningful discussions about the importance of financial literacy in daily life.

The session encouraged active participation, with students asking thoughtful questions and sharing their perspectives. At the end, Gavin conducted a survey to gather feedback on future topics. The results revealed a strong interest in learning about taxes!

In our first interactive workshop, Gavin introduced students to foundational personal finance concepts, emphasizing practical skills for everyday life. The session began by exploring the difference between wants and needs, helping students identify priorities and make more informed spending decisions. They then discussed creative ways to earn money, encouraging students to think like entrepreneurs, followed by an introduction to smart budgeting techniques to manage their earnings effectively.

Using real-life examples and a hands-on workbook, students actively engaged in exercises to apply these concepts, sparking lively discussions and thoughtful questions. This foundational class set the stage for more advanced topics in future sessions, building excitement for their personal finance journey.