Economic Awareness Council (EAC)

08/14/2026

Make the Most of Illinois ABLE Savings Day!

The EAC is excited to partner with the Illinois State Treasurer's Office and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to provide ABLE education to youth in care.

ABLE accounts are a valuable financial tool for many youth with disabilities. Learn more about Illinois ABLE accounts at https://illinoisable.com/!

Check out this blog post shared by Sunrise Medical and IL ABLE Account Owner, ABLE advocate & former IL Senator Dan McConchie for Illinois ABLE Savings Day: https://www.sunrisemedical.com/livequickie/blog/august-2026/my-able-account-allows-me-to-live-work-and-thrive?utm_source=ABLE&utm_campaign=30a565b3c3-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_02_17_07_05_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-8fda92dba4-380780441

08/10/2026

The EAC is excited to report on our work in 2025–2026 with the City Colleges of Chicago. Our Money Management Center Impact Report highlights both the financial needs of CCC students and the progress made by students through financial education and coaching.

Through our work with , 51% of students who came into the program with debt in collections, decreased their debt at 12 months, with an average reduction of $3,068 of debt. After 12 months of coaching, 59% of students who started with a credit score saw their score increase.

The program also supported students in strengthening their overall financial well-being. 63% of banked students reported having a separate savings account (up 5% from 2024)! The Economic Awareness Council is grateful to continue supporting CCC students as they build their financial literacy, strengthen their financial capability, and work toward greater financial stability!

08/07/2026

Through our partnership with the Alternative Schools Network, the EAC has supported students across Chicago in building financial knowledge and developing practical money-management habits this summer.

Following participation in the program, students’ average financial literacy scores increased from 70.6 to 86.9. Students also reported a 40% increase in having a three-month emergency fund and a 31% increase in having a savings account.

We are grateful to the Wells Fargo Foundation for supporting this program as we continue partnering with ASN to help students strengthen their financial literacy, build financial capability, and work toward greater financial stability!

08/06/2026

Thank you to State Farm Agent Jeffrey Hines for addressing our Chicago Youth Works Peer Financial Educators & On the Money Interns at their graduation at the CFA Society of Chicago Vault this July!

We are very grateful for the support of State Farm and generous agents like Jeffrey Hines. Lisa Cooper Chicago Youth Works

07/24/2026

Great experience with ITAV - thank you for having us!

Building strong financial futures starts with knowledge! 💰

Our Chicagobility participants learned about the importance of banking, saving, and smart money habits during a financial literacy session with Great Lakes Credit Union in partnership with the Economic Awareness Council (EAC).

Thank you for investing in our youth!

07/22/2026

Thank you to the Wells Fargo Foundation for supporting the Economic Awareness Council’s Money Moves financial capability program!

With this support, nearly 800 youth have participated in engaging financial education experiences in 2026. Students have connected with EAC Peer Money Mentors and financial professionals, gaining practical knowledge and tools to help them make confident financial decisions.

We are grateful to Wells Fargo for investing in the financial futures of youths in our communities!

06/11/2026

Thank you to the Wells Fargo Foundation for making our May State ID event possible! With their support, we successfully helped 29 youth obtain a State ID, and many attendees opened bank accounts or met with our credit union partner on-site.

This spring, the EAC and partners have reached 481 students from the Alternative School Network with financial education workshops, and 56 students have completed one-on-one coaching sessions. 100% of coaching participants agreed they learned more about money management, banking, budgeting, or credit!

We are very grateful for the support of the Wells Fargo Foundation, as well as the Alternative School Network, Chicago Youth Works, and the Illinois Secretary of State's office. We look forward to continuing this work through upcoming credit workshops and banking events this summer!

05/20/2026

OTM is hiring! 🚀 Do you live in Chicago? Are you between the ages of 18-24? Interested in business, finance, or entrepreneurship?
This could be your next great opportunity. Check out our summer internship program and help spread the word! Deadline to apply is this Friday, 5/22.

05/12/2026

Congratulations to our partners at Working Credit on being featured on the "Think Like a Saver" podcast by America Saves during America Saves Week this past April!

Working Credit is a fantastic partner in our work at City Colleges of Chicago and with the Alternative School Network — and this recognition is so well deserved.

We're also excited to be hosting events at City Colleges of Chicago and partnering with America Saves to support youth through Chicago Youth Works this summer.

If you missed it, the podcast episode is still available — check it out at the link below!
Listen Here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5iuHqI9D0un5YymdWXyuvH?si=k8PiYg9cSIeEIZB21WFQbg&nd=1&dlsi=c652e796bf5248bb

04/13/2026

Here’s a look at the early impact of our ASN events:

We’ve already hosted 6 events, reached 110 students, and supported 35 students in opening accounts.

Our initial student pre-assessments point to a strong need for basic financial tools and opportunities as only 51% of the students reported being banked and 27% of the students reported having a savings account at pre-test, reinforcing a strong need for this program.

While this is a small sample, it aligns with what we’re seeing firsthand: there is both a need—and a real opportunity—to build financial capability earlier.

We look forward to helping more students get banked through upcoming ASN events!

We are very grateful for support of the Wells Fargo Foundation, the Alternative School Network, and our program partners in making this work possible.