https://www.facebook.com/BoldTV/videos/601431013548190/
D.R.E.A.M.
Femi Faoye is a native Brooklynite and investment banker. His dream was to develop his company called D.R.E.A.M. which teaches high schoolers to be financially literate (D.R.E.A.M. stand for Developing Responsible Economically Advanced Model-Citizens). Growing up, his mother instilled in him a value of saving. He hated it at the time, but as he grew up, he realized why it was so important to save birthday money, Christmas money, and the like. He also realized how a lot of his friends were not getting some of the same lessons from their parents. This was due to how taboo a topic finances were between parents and their children.
Financial superheroes
Faoye believes that parents are very often financial superheroes. That is to say, the way they allocate, save and find money for their children is amazing. He only wishes they would share their expertises, tips, tricks and even struggles with their children in order to help them grow up to be financially independent and literate adults. The mission of D.R.E.A.M is focused in New York City but expands all around the world.
One of the emphases of D.R.E.A.M. is to get Black and Hispanic communities talking about money and finances. In many of these communities, Faoye laments, these conversations are just not being held. That needs to be changed, Faoye said.
Why high school though?
Faoye said it is pretty simple. They are aiming to start with kids in high school because, at that time, they are impressionable and willing to change. Not that older people are lost, but they are more stuck in their ways, Faoye said. During their formative years, they are willing to learn, and, what’s more, biologically more attuned to learning.
What does D.R.E.A.M. do, specifically?
D.R.E.A.M. has two main programs: Financial Empowerment 101, and Invest in Success. With the former, D.R.E.A.M. goes to schools and brings a short curriculum with them that they teach to the students. Invest in Success, Faoye said, is perhaps the program that D.R.E.A.M. is most well known for. With Invest in Success, students are taught fone Saturday out of every month for three years in a school or community area, and they learn a new financial topic every year. Faoye compared it to bootcamp programs and gave examples such as how a credit card works and what a checking account is for yearly topics that are comprehensively analyzed.
Takeaway
Faoye believes that not only should high schoolers learn to become financially literate, but they should learn to take an interest in entrepreneurial endeavors. Nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit is extremely important to Faoye personally and to D.R.E.A.M’s mission as a whole.
“Those with the entrepreneurial mindset have better career outcomes in the long-run,” Faoye said.
Have something to add to this story? Comment below or join the discussion on Facebook.
Header image: ShutterStock
