Financial Literacy Workshops: Building Confident, Capable Young Women

At GirlsWhoSTEAM, our Financial Literacy Workshops are designed to give girls the real-world money skills they need to navigate adolescence, college, and early adulthood with confidence. Too often, young women are expected to “figure it out later” when it comes to money. Our workshops break down intimidating financial concepts into practical, interactive lessons that empower girls to make informed decisions today and for years to come.

We begin with budgeting and tracking spending, teaching students how to understand where their money goes and how to plan intentionally. Using the student-friendly 50/30/20 budgeting framework, participants learn how to balance needs, wants, and savings . Through hands-on scenarios like choosing between saving $100 for a laptop or spending it on a weekend concert, students practice weighing short-term gratification against long-term goals. 

We also introduce tools for tracking spending, from simple spreadsheets to budgeting apps, and explain how monitoring expenses can prevent overspending, detect fraud, and support long-term financial goals.

Next, we tackle credit cards and credit scores. Students learn what a credit score actually represents, how it is built, and why payment history matters more than anything else. We demystify common myths  and explain how responsible usage can unlock lower interest rates, housing approvals, and financial flexibility later in life. Participants learn how to compare rewards, fees, and use cases (such as travel versus cash-back), while also understanding the risks of high APRs, missed payments, and overspending.

Our workshops also emphasize saving and investing early. Students explore why saving matters, from emergency funds to short-term goals and long-term financial security, and learn actionable strategies like automating transfers, saving consistently from each paycheck, and avoiding overdraft fees. We explain concepts like compound growth, risk versus reward, diversification, and the difference between savings accounts and investments. Students learn about stocks, mutual funds, index funds, IRAs, and beginner-friendly platforms, empowering them to start small without fear.

Finally, we focus on college and career financial readiness. Participants learn how to evaluate college costs, understand student loans, prioritize federal aid, complete FAFSA and CSS Profile applications, and identify scholarships, including national opportunities like Gates, QuestBridge, Coca-Cola, and Voyager. We also discuss smart money habits for college life, such as setting weekly “fun money” caps, using student discounts, avoiding buy-now-pay-later traps, and balancing work, academics, and personal well-being.

By combining financial literacy with real-life decision-making, GirlsWhoSTEAM equips girls not just to manage money, but to use it as a tool for independence, choice, and opportunity.