Educators speak: Representation matters
August Ball (pictured below) is a valued SecureFutures educator and the founder of Cream City Conservation, a two-pronged social enterprise. First, Cream City Conservation & Consulting LLC provides education services to environmental and community-based organizations that want to cultivate a more inclusive culture. Next, Cream City Conservation Corps fosters the next generation of environmental stewards.
Ball met SecureFutures President and CEO, Brenda Campbell, at a community event where they discovered that both organizations have a common goal of empowering teens to feel confident in their financial decisions. Through C4, Ball has connected SecureFutures with more than 100 young adults through new Milwaukee programs at River Revitalization Foundation, Learn.Earn.Grow, Milwaukee County Parks, and Escuela Verde. August has a true commitment to youth advocacy in the city of Milwaukee. “She is an important asset to SecureFutures,” says Rashidah Butler-Jackson, SecureFutures’ program manager. “Her unique perspective will help us grow.” Read more about August’s perspective on the partnership with SecureFutures.
What has it been like to partner with SecureFutures?
I absolutely love your volunteers. Their hearts are huge! Because most of my youth are of color, it’s great to see other professionals of color volunteer. I have noticed that when we had sessions held in the center of the city or in predominantly black neighborhoods, it is sometimes difficult to find volunteers. It seems like there’s opportunity to build capacity.
Why is it important to have someone from the business community volunteer and engage with your students at Cream City?
The benefit is reciprocal. The youth learn empowering money mindsets and habits, and the volunteers gain a new perspective of a population they may not be familiar with.
What is the single biggest challenge you see in front of your students, as it pertains to personal finance?
Saving money is critical, but it will never produce wealth or close the wealth gap. I’d love to see more opportunities for education on making/leveraging money and investing.
It is the mission of SecureFutures to empower all teens with financial education and resources. Let us know if you have students who could benefit from personal finance lessons led by volunteers from your business community. Contact our Program Director Kristen Ruhl today at kristen@securefutures.org or (414) 273-8101.
