The FLY Initiative

Dedicated to empower underserved and underrepresented youth with culturally responsive financial education and global experiences to end generational poverty. FLY addresses the issues of disparities in financial literacy resources, cultural inequities, and family engagement challenges through a culturally responsive financial literacy program. The Financial Literacy Youth (FLY) Initiative is dedicated to creating systemic change, advocating for financial education for all Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) in Rhode Island, and ending generational poverty. Serious, blatant, and dangerously deep disparities among the RI BIPOC population need critical attention. The problems are socially unjust and systemic: housing, career, dependence on welfare, food insecurity, mental/emotional wellness, debt, education, and financial stability are all impacted by the absence of financial literacy. Financial confidence is elusive; poverty is commonplace. FLY's goal is to reverse the financial literacy deficit that impairs reaching life’s most important financial goals: significant purchases (car, house); acquiring a meaningful, rewarding, satisfying, fulfilling career; actively exercising healthy financial practices (investments, borrowing/saving money). Financial literacy will empower RI BIPOC individuals with knowledge, skills, and resources needed to end generational poverty. Having access to educational and professional financial resources will translate to opportunities that typically would evade BIPOC individuals. The FLY Initiative is a strong solution for systemic change. FLY will equip the next generation with top-flight financial knowledge, skills, and tools to secure financial stability. The fear, anxiety, and powerlessness that perpetuate a downward spiral which settles and preys upon frontline communities will be allayed. Financial wellness and stability, worthy employment, safe housing, advanced education, wholesome food security, quality healthcare, and corporate and political leadership aspirations will thrive solidly and boldly.