Wise - Working in support of education

	w!se’s innovative and exciting programs empower students with the essential skills and experiences they need to participate fully in our increasingly complex global economy. w!se has the expertise and experience to succeed; a long-standing reputation for quality programs, materials and professional services, and strong relationships with schools, teachers, and the private sector. Central to our success is meaningful evaluation of our programs and their results. Click the links below for more information about our three main program areas. Financial Literacy and Education Preparation for College and the Global Marketplace Entrepreneurship
	Financial Education AND Financial Literacy
	New York Financial Literacy Coalition Financially literate young adults are able to make smart decisions and responsible plans for achieving their financial goals, whether that means financing a college education, starting their own business, buying a computer, or saving for retirement. The New York Financial Literacy Coalition works with financial service firms, non-profit organizations, teachers, school administrators, and parents to promote financial literacy among young adults. Financial Literacy Certification Program: Most students drop out of college not because of academic failure but because of personal debt and the fastest growing group filing personal bankruptcy is young people ages 18 to 25. w!se’s Financial Literacy Certification Program addresses the urgent need for financial literacy and education. The program provides high school students with access to financial education and the opportunity to become certified financially literate. Participating schools teach personal finance and administer w!se’s standardized Financial Literacy Certification (CFL) Test. Teachers have access to training, educational resources, pre-tests, and online practice tests. Students who pass the CFL Test are Certified Financially Literate, earning their CFL. Developed in 2003, the program has expanded nationally and has been widely recognized for its success, including the 2007 US Treasury Department’s John Sherman Award for Excellence in Financial Education. Please visit www.moneypower.org to learn more about the program. Back to the top
	High School of Economics & Finance (HSEAF), New York City Department of Education: Founded in 1993 by w!se President Phyllis Frankfort, this Title I school, located in the heart of Wall Street, provides a diverse student body from all five boroughs of New York City with a demanding college and career preparatory program. The school’s mission is to provide a rigorous academic program in economics and finance that includes real-world opportunities; to graduate students with the skills and knowledge necessary for college and the workplace; and to implement innovative approaches in education, which will prepare students to succeed in a technological society and in the global economy. As a model for educational reform, the school is one of 200 high schools exempted from the new citywide curriculum. Ninety-seven percent of the class of 2008 graduated with acceptances to college. Recent graduates have been accepted at Barnard, Brown, NYU, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, Syracuse, Wellesley, Wesleyan and the University of Pennsylvania, among other top schools around the country. HSEAF is not a screened school. Please visit www.hseaf.org to learn more about the school. Back to the top
	Preparation for College and the Global Marketplace
	The Sanford I. Weill Institute for Lifelong Learning: The Weill Institute at the High School of Economics & Finance is a unique partnership program that expands a student’s school schedule to include hundreds of hours of seminars provided by industry professionals and on-the-job work experiences to build career skills. Students may complete three work experiences before graduation – community service work, an unpaid internship at a corporation, and a paid corporate internship through the Academy of Finance – to earn a Weill Institute diploma. The Institute prepares students for their work experiences through skills development seminars, and places and supervises them during their work experiences. Students have the opportunity to apply classroom learning to real-world workplace challenges, to explore career possibilities, and to acquire practical skills needed for transitioning to the workplace and to college. Students graduate more confident and prepared than their peers. Surveys indicate that the most valuable aspect of the Weill Institute is inspiring students to work harder and continue their education. Visit the Weill Institute at the High School of Economics and Finance online at www.hseaf.org/weill_institute.html. Back to the top
	The Global Communications Institute (GCI): It takes more than work skills to succeed in our complex global economy; it requires a sophisticated understanding of how to present oneself and interact effectively with others. GCI responds to this reality. w!se recognizes that affluent youth enjoy a wider breath and variety of life experiences that provide them with greater access to opportunities in the workplace and in life. The GCI program addresses this issue by empowering public school students with skills, strategies, and experiences that sets them on the road toward achieving the American Dream in the global economy. Students attend an intensive summer program at a private club that includes experiences and instruction to build self-confidence and enhance job related, academic, and life skills. GCI is dedicated to strengthening skills in oral and written communication as well as providing instruction on a myriad of topics including ethics, world cultures, etiquette, personal finance, and the requisites for career opportunities in the global economy. As a result of the program, students become more cultured, worldly, and sophisticated. Please visit www.wise-ny.org/gci to learn more about GCI. Back to the top
	SOCIAL Entrepreneurship
	The Quality of Life Program & Competition: The Quality of Life Program (QL), a Model for Applied Learning, invites high schools from New York City to introduce a project-based learning tool into their courses and after-school programs. This program closes the achievement gap, increases the number of high school graduates who are academically prepared for college, and inculcates a sense of social responsibility in students as informed and engaged participants in work, community and civic life. The QL students have the opportunity to learn in meaningful and fun ways how they can make a difference in their communities by researching, then creating, feasible solutions to real-world problems. Participating students identify a quality of life issue in their community, learn to conduct surveys, observations and questionnaires, conduct original background and field research, write a proposal with their feasible recommendations for improving the quality of life issue and submit their proposals to the QL Competition. Students representing the winning three proposals receive scholarship awards. Please visit www.qlcompetition.org to learn more about QL. Back to the top