Balancing a checkbook. Understanding interest rates on an auto loan. Understanding how to put your savings to work to make more money. Financial literacy means creating transformational and generational wealth. Yet on average only 5% of Rhode Island high school students currently receive financial literacy education. Of these students, approximately 90% are white.

Understanding the challenges youth in the BIPOC communities face, Marcy Reyes founded The Financial Literacy Youth (FLY) Initiative, a non-profit organization that provides culturally responsive financial literacy programming to underserved and underrepresented students. Developing financial knowledge will empower youth to make good choices and lead to financial wellness and stability – the key to ending generational poverty.

With support from the Papitto Opportunity Connection, FLY continues to soar. FLY has served more than 1,000 BIPOC students in Rhode Island. Marcy’s goal is to serve 7,000 students by 2024.