Media Contact: Samantha Spina | 212-421-2700 | sspina@wise-ny.org
New York, NY – Working in Support of Education (W!se) is pleased to announce it has received a generous $75,000 grant from Wells Fargo Foundation to support the Financial Literacy Certification program and the W!se Institute in the 2022-23 school year.
“Our longstanding partnership with Wells Fargo is cherished. It has enabled thousands of young people to learn how to better manage their finances and successfully navigate the transition from high school to college and career. This new grant provides crucial support for schools and students in New York City and Long Island and we are very grateful,” said David Anderson W!se’s President & CEO.
The grant will support The Financial Literacy program in New York City and Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island. The W!se Financial Literacy Certification program, now in 49 states, supports personal finance instruction in high schools. Participating schools teach personal finance and administer W!se’s Financial Literacy Certification Test. Students passing the Test become Certified Financially Literate™ (CFL), a nationally recognized credential. Through the program, more than one million students have graduated from high school financially literate.
The funds will also support the delivery of seminars and work experiences for students participating in the W!se Institute in New York City Public Schools. Created in 1998, the Institute helps students in Title 1 NYC public high schools prepare for college and the workplace through eight–week seminars conducted by volunteer professionals in Economics and Finance; Arts, Humanities and Communications, Sustainability, STEM, and College and Career skills, as well as workshops and job shadows. Students are introduced to career pathways and gain the knowledge/skills to become competitive candidates for college and employment.
“Wells Fargo is a proud supporter of the W!se Financial Literacy Certification program because we believe there is a need for high school students in New York City and Long Island to have access to experts who can teach them the process of learning by doing, whether it’s creating a budget, setting financial goals, and saving for future expenses,” said Krissy Moore, Senior Vice President, Community Relations, Northeast Region at Wells Fargo. “Financial health is one of our major focus areas as a company, and this program provides young people with the tools and resources they need to develop smart financial habits for the long-term.”
About Working in Support of Education (W!se)
Working in Support of Education (W!se) is a leading educational 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in New York City with a mission to improve economic mobility through programs that develop financial literacy and readiness for college and careers. Our initiatives are built on 5 pillars –relevancy, real-world experiences, partnerships, volunteerism and evaluation.