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Knowledge
At Philadelphia Financial Scholars, we believe access to financial empowerment education is critical to overcoming systemic economic barriers.
Our Mission
We provide high school students, teachers, and families with the tools needed to develop financial skills, build greater wealth, and achieve financial empowerment.
THESE ARE OUR
Values
Relationships Over Everything
We lead with warmth and respect. Strong relationships foster collaboration and staying power.
We Do What We Say
We follow through on deadlines and commitments. Integrity earns trust, and trust builds impact.
Listen. Build. Improve.
We design with—not for—students, families, and teachers. Listening leads to relevance. Relevance leads to real results.
We Find a Way Forward
We face challenges head-on with creativity and care.
Dream Big, Deliver Big
We imagine what’s possible and back it up with action. Bold ideas become reality through good planning and hustle.
Our Story
Philadelphia Financial Scholars was founded in December 2020.
Philadelphia Financial Scholars includes curriculum and professional development for daily in-school financial literacy education, entrepreneurship and investing enrichment powered by corporate and university volunteers, paid summer career exploration programming for teens, and evening financial empowerment workshops for adults in our school communities.
We currently partner with 72 high school teachers to serve 5,000 students. We're focused on student impact and outcomes: we train teachers and prioritize curricular resources and activities that reflect the diverse backgrounds and experiences of the students we serve. We aim to incorporate culturally relevant materials and examples into our financial literacy curriculum, enabling students to see themselves and their access to bright futures reflected in their learning materials.
Through a commitment to equity and a focus on accessibility, we aim to bridge the opportunity gap and ensure that historically under-served students have equal access to the knowledge and skills necessary for financial empowerment.
What Board Members
Are Saying
“It was amazing to see how engaged and informed the students were. Impressively, not only did they demonstrate that they understood the concepts and terminology, but they also articulated their preferences for managing their finances responsibly. Such an amazing program that I wish I had in high school.”
(PFS Board Member)
Core Team
Danielle Hernandez
Program Director
Danielle Hernandez is the Program Director at Financial Scholars. She supports high school educators by offering guidance on instructional strategies, enhancing curriculum, and creating professional development programs that enhance content knowledge and allow for collaboration among educators.
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Carl Morrow
Education & Engagement Strategist
Carl is an educator with experience in high school mathematics, personal finance, and entrepreneurship. He has taught in public, charter, and independent schools and leads PFS’s Adult Financial Empowerment series, creating learning experiences that equip students and communities for success beyond the classroom.
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Steve Novosel
Lead Teacher, Summer Experienceship
Steven has spent 15 years teaching in the School District of Philadelphia, where he launched a Personal Finance course at Northeast High School. A mentor, coach, and veteran, he brings his diverse experiences to empower students and families with financial literacy.
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Elisa Oliver
Director of Program Support
Elisa is an educator and coach with over a decade of experience in curriculum design, instructional leadership, and personal finance education. She’s passionate about culturally relevant teaching and believes all students deserve classrooms that reflect their full selves and prepare them for a financially empowered future.
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Alexandra Wheatley
Program Coordinator
Alex is the Program Coordinator at Financial Scholars. She helps ensure programs are delivered effectively and exceed expectations of those we serve. She manages communications with key partners and coordinates events to celebrate and showcase student achievements.
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Kerry Wagner Woodward
Executive Director
Kerry Wagner Woodward is the first Executive Director of Financial Scholars. She oversees curriculum and professional development, school partnerships, corporate sponsorships, program expansion, mission advocacy, and collaborates with the Board of Directors on the strategic vision of the organization.
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Partner Schools
- Academy at Palumbo
- Belmont Charter High School
- Bodine High School
- Boys' Latin High School of Philadelphia
- CADI
- Carver High School of Engineering and Science
- Community Academy of Philadelphia
- Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School
- Dobbins High School
- First Philadelphia Charter School
- Frankford High School
- Franklin Learning Center High School
- Franklin Towne Charter High School
- Freire Charter
- Furness High School
- George Washington High School
- Hill-Freedman World Academy
- John Bartram High School
- Kensington CAPA
- Kensington Health Sciences Academy
- KIPP Dubois
- Lincoln High School
- Martin Luther King High School
- MaST Community Charter School
- Mast III
- Mastery Charter Hardy Williams
- Mastery Charter-Lenfest
- Mastery Pickett
- Mastery-Camden
- Mastery-Thomas
- Mercy Career and Technical School
- Multicultural Academy Charter School
- Northeast High School
- Overbrook High School
- Parkway Center City Middle College
- Parkway Northwest
- Paul Robeson High School
- Philadelphia Learning Academy - West
- Philadelphia Performing Arts
- Prep Charter High School
- Randolph Career and Technical High School
- Roxborough High School
- Samuel Fels High School
- Sayre High School
- Science Leadership Academy
- Science Leadership Academy at Beeber
- Simon Gratz Mastery Charter
- South Philadelphia High School
- String Theory
- Swenson Arts & Technology High School
- Tacony Academy Charter School
- Tech Freire High School
- The Pathway School
- The U School
- Thomas Edison High School
Partner Teachers
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Board of Directors
- Marc Bryant | FS Investments, Chief Legal Officer
- John Coyne | Ategenos Capital, Chairman
- Brendan Clark | Clark Capital, CEO
- Toni Damon | Cherry Hill High School, Principal
- Kelly Davenport | Freire School Network, CEO & Founder
- Steve DeAngelis | Villanova University School of Business, Executive in Residence
- Josh Deringer | Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, Partner
- Mia Fioravanti | Hilco Capital, Vice President, Corporate Affairs
- Mike Gerber | FS Investments, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer
- Brian Gildea | Hamilton Lane, Mananging Director
- Iola Harper | The Enterprise Center, Senior Executive Vice President
- Zane Hamid | TIFF, Head of Strategic Client Initiatives
- Keith Leaphart | Philanthropi, Founder
- Shawn Lytle | Macquarie, Head of Public Investments, President Delaware Funds
- Nicodemus Madehdou | CEO & Co-Founder, JumpButton Studio
- Tiffany Spraggins-Payne | Director of Power Up Your Business, Community College of Philadelphia
- Sulaiman Rahman | DiverseForce , CEO & Founder
- Sarah Roth | Argosy Capital, CEO
- William Sasso | Stradley Ronon, Chairman Emeritus
- Ryan Oswald | EY, Partner
- Chiwuike Owunwanne | KeyBank, Corporate Responsibility Officer
- Jeff Wicklund | The Enterprise Center, Executive Vice President
Our Sponsors
