Background on the Organization

C12B1 Inc. is a New Haven, Connecticut-based non-profit organization. C12B1 provides free financial literacy and mentoring programs for at-risk youth, ages 7 to 18. In addition to financial literacy and life skills education, the organization provides field trips, academic and enrichment activities, and guest speakers. C1B21 partners with existing afterschool, summer, and other youth programs to provide services on site.

C12B1 Program

C12B1’s Financial Literacy and Mentoring Program will increase the financial literacy of at-risk urban youth ages 7-18, by teaching them 1) life skills to avoid social pitfalls that impede economic progress, and 2) money management skills. The program requires hands-on participation of program participants as they learn money management by starting and running their own sneaker design business. Life skills training will be weaved throughout the program as mentors present real-life social dilemmas to program participants at each stage of the business (start up, roll-out), and teach them how to overcome those obstacles in a positive manner.

The program will partner with youth programs at 3 different sites. Each site has 15-20 youth. The program will be mobile and will operate at the different site. Each site will receive 2 hours of financial literacy instruction and life skills mentoring per week, for an 11-month period.

At each site, program participants will be divided into 3 groups. Each group will form a separate sneaker design company, using financial management skills and life skills taught during the program. Each company will design, market, and promote a sneaker. Each company will compete with the other companies at the same site, in different categories (marketing, design, product development, etc.) The overall winner of the competition at each site, will compete against the winners at the other 2 sites. The purpose of the competitions is to refine and improve the product and its promotion, in preparation for each company’s final presentation before a panel of judges. Each company will select a company spokesperson or team to present the
company’s sneaker design, business model, budget, and marketing plan to a panel of judges for feedback. The panel of judges consists of business professionals.

During the program, program participants will attend outings together to help them get to know each other and encourage team building.

C12B1 Goal

The goal of the program is to increase the financial literacy of at-risk urban youth, by teaching them 1) how to become producers rather than just consumers, 2) marketable skills which they can use to become entrepreneurs or valuable employees, 3) how to manage money responsibly, and 4) life skills to help them navigate social challenges which threaten to impede their journey to financial success.

Learning Objectives

Program participants will be taught:

How to create a business
How to write a business plan
How to create a budget
How to create a to-do list of tasks to be completed
How to assemble a team, which includes research and development, quality control, a
company spokesperson, and a COO (Chief Operating Officer)
How to work together as a team to complete a task
How to market, promote, and produce a product, including how to brand a product and
how to create a marketing plan
How to design a sneaker
How to order supplies
How to manage income
Life skills to manage social challenges which threaten economic progress
How and why to copyright a design

Expected Outcome:

The expected outcome of the program is that at least 50% of the program participants will learn at least 50% of the following skills:

Life skills for identifying and managing social threats to economic success
The definition and dangers of commingling and misappropriation of funds
The definition and importance of research and development
The definition and importance of quality control
The definition and importance of branding, marketing, promotion, and designating a
company spokesperson
The definition and importance of a budget
The definition and importance of a business plan
The definition and importance of money management
How to order supplies
How to write a business plan
How to write a marketing plan
The definition and importance of working together as a team to complete a task
How to copyright their designs

Measuring the Impact of the Program

The organization will use pre-tests and post-tests to measure the impact of the program. At the beginning of the program, each program participant will take a pre-test to determine the participant’s knowledge of the material that will be taught during the program. At the end of the program, each participant will take a post-test to measure what the participant learned during the program.