Financial Literacy

Junior Achievement of Southeastern PA

ZFF's partnership with Junior Achievement began in Fall 2013 as we aimed to bring in-classroom financial literacy programs to schools as a whole-grade level approach.  We worked with schools to find a "home" within the current curriculum (ideally across an entire grade level) and recruited partnerships from local businesses to provide volunteers to teach the program to the students.  Our first pilot began in Quakertown Community School District in January 2014 and continued to expand to additional schools and counties each year.  *2015-2017 ZFF also partnered with JA NEPA and Bloomsburg University to bring local 8th grade students to campus while BU education students gained hands on teaching experience as the JA volunteers.  By Spring 2024, the ZFF/JA partnership has brought financial literacy programming to over 30,000 students in southeastern PA with the help of hundreds of volunteers.  

One of the programs offered has been JA Finance Park which is a capstone program for personal finance planning and career exploration (Grades 7-12).  The teacher-led program culminates with a virtual (and now in-person) simulation for the students to put into practice what they have learned by developing and committing to a personal budget.

New for 2024-2025:  ZFF is the Signature Sponsor for the new JA Finance Park Mobile Simulation.  Simulations can be set up at schools, recreation centers, libraries, university campuses, etc following the in-classroom curriculum.  Volunteers from local businesses are trained by JA and help guide the students through the budgeting simulation.

Foundation for Free Enterprise Education

ZFF is providing sponsorships for students to attend Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week (PFEW).  Students at PFEW spend a week on a college campus as they become the management team of an underperforming manufacturing company in direct competition with other student companies.  While their main activities involve running their business with their team, they also will participate in a financial literacy reality fair, hear from several motivational speakers, and particpate in campus tours as they arrive and move in to college dorms for the week.  Lycoming College recognizes the recruitment value that PFEW provides to them and offers scholarship money to PFEW students to attend after high school.