Everyday 7,000 students drop out of high school and graduation rates continue to decrease. The Dollar Scholars project focuses on providing financial literacy for young people in middle school. Middle school students were chosen because students between the 6th and 8th grades are the most open to new information and are the most adaptive. The idea is to have young people focus on financial literacy so as they get older they can make wiser decisions. The program will also show students that they need to take advantage of educational opportunities if they want to be able to provide for themselves and achieve their desired lifestyle. The focus is on high risk youth who reside in low income neighborhoods where it is a challenge for youth to advance.

To make this project happen, the group teamed up with Junior Achievement, the world’s largest organization dedicated to educating students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs. The team also partnered with United Way’s BOOST program which increases quality and access to Out of School Time programs for school age youth, and the YMCA. Through utilizing these resources, students will be taught after school in six, 45-minute classes once a week how to be a more successful and stable adult. Through learning about career choices, how to set financial goals, different occupations, budgeting and salaries students will be better positioned to achieve successful lives. Students will also learn how consumers pay for goods and services, defining consequences of a credit score, risk, insurance and financial consequences. The pilot program will start at the Sterling Community Center.