Understanding how to manage money is a skill that shapes the trajectory of a person’s life, influencing the choices they make today and the opportunities they can pursue tomorrow. That’s why financial education is such an essential building block.
Still, many young people enter adulthood unprepared. According to a 2024 survey from Junior Achievement and Citizens Financial Group, more than half of teens say they don’t feel ready to manage their own money — and the long-term costs of that gap can be steep. In 2023 alone, the World Economic Forum reported that avoidable money mistakes cost U.S. adults an estimated $388 billion.
Without early, meaningful exposure to how money works, people can miss a critical window to build lasting skills. The habits they form in childhood often shape how they earn, spend, and save for years to come.
Recognizing this, Trust Point has partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater La Crosse to deliver financial education to young people in a way that’s engaging, relevant, and accessible. Both Trust Point and Emerj360 team members have been crucial in making the volunteer-run program a success.
Bringing Financial Education to Life
For many students, personal finance education doesn’t begin until high school, if at all. By then, foundational habits and attitudes about money are already taking shape. Through our partnership with local Boys & Girls Clubs, the Trust Point Young Professionals Group is helping shift the timeline for financial education with a hands-on, approachable way to learn about money.
The team developed a four-week program designed for middle school and early high school students focused on making financial concepts feel practical, relevant, and fun. Sessions cover essentials like budgeting, saving, credit, and investing — not through static lectures, but with interactive exercises and real-world simulations.
In one session, students get $100,000 in virtual cash to build a stock portfolio and react to surprise market “news alerts.” In another, they stretch a paycheck across monthly expenses and unexpected hurdles, like a flat tire or a child who needs lunch money. This prompts thoughtful conversations about priorities and trade-offs.
The program also encourages students to reflect on how personal values shape financial decisions. One exercise challenges them to balance “money” and “happiness” while designing a life based on career choices and spending decisions. For many, it’s the first time they’ve had open, judgment-free conversations about money, and that openness helps the lessons click.
The program is built on consistency. With at least one returning volunteer each week, it fosters trust, connection, and a sense of continuity. Students who complete all four weeks receive a small incentive — but more importantly, they walk away with greater confidence in their ability to understand money, ask smart questions, and make informed choices.
Laying the Groundwork for Lifelong Learning
What began as a pilot has grown quickly. The program is now offered at four Boys & Girls Club sites in the La Crosse area. And soon, a new Workforce Readiness Center — currently under construction with support from the Trust Point Foundation — will provide a dedicated, year-round space for expanding financial education in the community.
Long term, the goal is to grow this work beyond students, engaging families and community members in the process as well. By meeting people where they are, with lessons rooted in real-world experiences, we strive to make financial education more inclusive and meaningful.
Financial education doesn’t need to be complicated to be life changing. When young people learn in a way that’s hands on and relatable, they gain the confidence they need to shape their future success.
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By: Ashley Hamby, Organizational Development Manager; Samuel Lindner, WMSTM, Relationship Manager & Cierra Nicholson, Digital Marketing Analyst
