When Greenwich High School students formed a nonprofit called Dollars To Scholars focused on improving financial literacy in middle school students, they found a perfect partner in the First Bank of Greenwich, and the President and Chief Executive Officer, Frank J. Gaudio, pictured.
(Ad) When Greenwich High School students formed a nonprofit called Dollars To Scholars focused on improving financial literacy in middle school students, they found a perfect partner in the First Bank of Greenwich.
Greenwich High School senior Sylvester Pecora, one of the nonprofit’s founders, said the First Bank of Greenwich has been wonderful, both in backing the group and helping them with their own banking. But that is just part of the bank’s community-centered approach.
About Dollars To Scholars
Pecora said he and his friends, one of whom being co-founder Angela Bai, began Dollars To Scholars as a project in one of the high school’s clubs, DECA. DECA is a global not-for-profit student organization that prepares high school and college students for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and business management.
After launching the initiative, Pecora and his colleagues reached over 80 middle school students and earned first place in the state competition.
Today, Dollars To Scholars is a student-founded, IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving financial literacy among middle school students through engaging, accessible, and research-backed education.
Through classroom instruction, interactive activities, and multimedia resources, they cover essential topics including budgeting, saving, investing, credit, taxes, employment, and financial goal setting.
Since its founding, Dollars To Scholars has worked to make financial education both practical and engaging for students and educators alike.
Looking ahead, Dollars To Scholars is focused on expanding both its reach and impact. They plan to launch a Regional Ambassador Network.
“We are going to be rolling out a Regional Ambassador Program very shortly. We’ve already got regional ambassadors for Virginia, CT, New Hampshire, Upstate New York, and Michigan already,” he said.
The bank’s support
Jessica Fitzpatrick, The First Bank of Greenwich’s Website & Digital Media Coordinator, said the bank was only too happy to support Dollars To Scholars.
“Financial literacy sits directly at the intersection of the bank’s mission and this organization’s mission. It is something the bank has long been championing, and we have stood by it,” she said.
“The minute we found out what Sylvester and the whole Dollars To Scholars team was doing, we were so excited and eager to shine the spotlight on them,” she said.
Fitzpatrick said the bank’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Frank J. Gaudio, was particularly touched by Pecora’s “empathy and compassion.”
“And as a bank that believes in putting its money and effort where its mouth is, we love being aligned with someone like him who shares these goals and puts them into action,” Fitzpatrick said.
“Having access to the network that The First Bank of Greenwich has is wonderful,” Pecora said.
Dollars To Scholars offers regular seminars on financial literacy in Greenwich and keeps them updated at https://www.dollarstoscholars.org/.
It is currently undergoing an overhaul to include more teacher tools and video curriculum access, and an updated site will be released soon. Donations are also welcome.
Pecora hopes to become a high school teacher someday after attending Vanderbilt University in the fall. He is also hopeful for the future of financial literacy knowledge with states like Connecticut mandating financial literacy as part of regular curriculum.
You can follow along with Dollars To Scholars on Instagram and Facebook to keep up with the latest events.