Seattle Culture
Dollars & Sense
Youth Finance University helps kids think logically about money
By Seattle Mag March 26, 2025
This article originally appeared in the March/April 2025 issue of Seattle magazine.
Princeton Lock likes to tell the story of a third grader who learned money management through Youth Finance University, a free, student-led financial literacy program created by three 16-year-old students at Bellevue’s Newport High School.
“(She) successfully saved for her first major purchase instead of spending on impulse buys, exactly the kind of behavioral change we aim to achieve,” says Lock, a co-founder, project director and a Newport student. “As financial literacy becomes more crucial in today’s world, we want to empower children with the tools they need to make informed financial decisions.”
Youth Finance University — led by Lock, Dana Nguyen, and Will Ross as part of their DECA project (a curriculum that prepares students for business careers) — offers both in-person sessions and weekly online classes. Youth Finance University focuses on kids between the ages of 5 and 13.
More information is at youthfinance.org.
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