Foundation Funds Promote Fiscal Literacy For Hartford's Youth

KeyBank Foundation

HARTFORD, CT — A local bank's foundation has donated significantly to help Hartford area youths prepare to grow into productive, financially literate adults.

The Urban League of Greater Hartford has received a $150,000 charitable grant from the KeyBank Foundation payable over two years to support the agency’s Project Ready program, a signature national youth development service.

The funds will launch two new educational modules — STEAM and financial capability — to provide high schoolers with skills and experiences to help foster more racial diversity in quantitative fields.

“The Project Ready Scholars has been a cornerstone of our agency’s work and this investment from KeyBank in our students’ financial capabilities will be valuable to them in their personal and professional development,” said David Hopkins, president and chief executive officer of the Urban League of Greater Hartford.

Project Ready modules operating in Hartford include mentoring, digital literacy, history and culture, and college success.

The addition of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) and financial capability modules will provide the Scholars, ranging in age from 14 to 19, with age-appropriate financial literacy in earnings, living expenses, budgeting, maintaining bank accounts, investing, and acquiring assets, as well as workforce readiness and entrepreneurship.

In 2022, the Greater Hartford Project Ready team served nearly 70 students, 100 percent of whom were promoted to the next grade, with all of its seniors enrolling in college.

“Empowering our youth through financial education is an investment in a future where everyone has equal access to economic opportunities and where racial equity thrives,” said Matthew Hummel, KeyBank Connecticut and Western Massachusetts market president.

For more information on the Urban League of Greater Hartford, click on this link.