Teach Financial Skills with FWA’s Financial Backpack Volunteers
April 13, 2023
April is Financial Literacy Month! If you have a few hours to introduce teens and young adults to financial literacy, then Financial Backpack is the right program for you. Volunteer to teach basic personal finance skills to high school and college students, using the FWA’s proprietary curriculum, which includes teaching modules on Saving, Budgeting, Managing Credit, Investing, and Paying for College.
We have had an unprecedented number of requests to present the Financial Backpack curriculum this spring, including online and in-person sessions at New York City high schools, as well as with Baruch College and the YMCA of Greater New York. We provide training resources for all of the curriculum materials.
Please register with your name, contact information and dates you are available.
Questions or concerns? Please contact Financial Backpack Co-Chairs, Lindsay Starr at [email protected], or Suzanne Matthews at [email protected].
Thanks for supporting the Financial Backpack, and we hope to hear from you!
| School | Dates | In-person/Remote | Module | Presenters Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High School of Fashion Industries-NYC | April 18, 9:30 am - 11:00 am | Remote | Investing 101 | 2 |
| Hillcrest High School | May 8, 15 or 22 @ 8:50-9:40 and 9:45-10.30 (2 classes) | Remote | Investing 101 | 2 |
| High School for Arts and Business | April 26 or 27th (dates flexible) | Remote | Investing 101 | 2 |
| Flushing High School | Late April | Remote | Paying for College | 2 |
| High School of Fashion Industries, 22 W. 24th St, NYC | April 26 or 27, 10-11:30 am | In-person | Understanding Credit | 2 |
| Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School, 120 W. 46 St., NYC | April 20, 10:40-11:30 am; April 27, 10:40-11:30 am; May 10, 10:40-11:30 am: May 24, 11:30 – 12:15 | In-person | Paying for College | 2 |
| Brooklyn Academy of Global Finance, 125 Stuyvesant Ave, Brooklyn | May 10, 17 or 24 | In-person | Banking Basics | 2 |
| Baruch College, 55 Lexington Ave. Pathways to Partnership – Juniors and Seniors | April 25, 12:30 – 2 pm | In-person | Steps to Financial Success | 2 - 3 |
| McBurney YMCA, 125 W. 14th St. After School teens | Friday, May 5, 3:30 – 5 pm | In-person | Money and Me | 2 - 3 |
Last night, FWA board member Katrin Dambrot hosted Stories from School , an evening of connection and community in support of the FWA Mentorship and Scholarship Program at Seton Hall University . The theme of the evening was moments that matter. Guests shared personal accounts of mentors and experiences that shaped their college years and early careers—powerful reminders of how guidance and opportunity can change lives. Thanks to our generous supporters, we’ve raised $17,000 toward our $25,000 goal! To help us continue supporting the next generation of leaders, make a gift here .
We are excited to announce that the Financial Women’s Association will host its next International Business Conference in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in April 2026. This one-week immersive conference will feature high-level meetings with financial leaders, global innovators, and cultural experiences. If you’d like to receive early updates and priority access as plans develop, please complete the short interest form below. Space will be limited.
On July 29, the FWA’s 2025 Wall Street Exchange Program held its graduation ceremony. Over eight weeks this summer, 72 rising college seniors from 41 universities with summer internships in finance roles with 40 companies embarked on a journey of growth, learning, and connection. WSE is designed to empower the next generation of financial leaders with tools, insights, and relationships that will last far beyond the summer. Thank you to Wells Fargo Advisors for hosting an inspiring closing event — and to Brenda Titus who shared heartfelt and powerful advice to her 21-year-old self. Among the takeaways were reminders that it’s important to take risks and fail fast, to choose your circle wisely, that the greatest growth happens when you step outside your comfort zone, and that it’s important to find mentors, not idols. After Titus’ presentation, Gerri Bostick and Laura Smith Dunaief, WSE Co-chairs, and Albana Theka, FWA’s President, presented graduates with their program completion certificates. Congratulations to the 2025 graduates! We look forward to seeing you continue your journey with FWA and beyond. The future is brighter because of you. Special thanks to Wells Fargo Advisors for sponsoring this in-person celebration and to all of this summer’s speakers, who bring this program to life for the interns who represent financial services’ future. A huge thank you to this year's sponsors: AbleMarkets, Amazon Web Services, Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc, Citizens Bank, Goldman Sachs, Joele Frank, Knopeman Marks, MUFG, PwC, SMBC, and Wells Fargo Advisors. Thanks also to the WSE committee members and the FWA Office for their support.
Early August brought two standout networking events for women in finance hosted by the Financial Women's Association. One took place on the green, the other in Midtown NYC, and both highlighted the power of professional connection and community. On August 5, the FWA’s Long Island Committee hosted its 12 th Annual Golf Outing at Cold Spring Country Club, one of Long Island’s premier private courses. Members and guests joined for competitive and fun foursomes, a PGA-led golf clinic, and an evening of cocktails, dinner, raffles, and prizes. "It was a great group of people doing something fun together. I learned new things on the green and got some great professional advice on two pressing issues I am facing. That is the power of FWA events,” said Alissa Desmarais, FWA Executive Director & COO. FWA member Maria Maris added, “What a fun afternoon/evening this was! Already looking forward to the next one.” A special thank you to the Long Island Committee and our generous sponsors for making this women’s finance networking event a success.
