Preparing Young Minds: Stacks and Facts Financial Literacy Workshop

Preparing Young Minds: 

Over several months, the Sun and Truth Foundation has collaborated with community organizations across Montreal to identify sustainable and innovative ways to engage young people and create safe spaces conducive to encouraging them to show up confidently and take up space. With this objective in mind, the foundation launched Preparing Young Minds (PYM). PYM is a youth and community-focused initiative curated to empower young people with the tools they need to thrive. Through strategic partnerships and targeted programming, PYM inspires a butterfly effect, enabling youth to uplift themselves and their communities.

Stacks and Facts

October 26, 2025, marked the first of three Stacks and Facts Workshops, a financial literacy series for youth ages 13-18, hosted by The Sun and Truth Foundation and Ball Her Way in partnership with PennyDrops, Centre Kapwa, and Haji Ma. Through mindfulness sessions, interactive workshops, and a case competition, the workshop series empowers youth to build confidence, skills, and agency in managing their money. 

Financial literacy is a social imperative, yet it remains largely inaccessible. Without proper financial education, youth can fall into cycles of debt and poverty, limiting opportunities for social mobility. Our goal above all else is to break this cycle by equipping youth with financial education and empowering them to make informed financial decisions. 

Money and Mindfulness 

The Money and Mindfulness sessions allowed our young participants to explore their personal relationships with money and address any reservations they may have about financial literacy. Centre Kapwa’s Director,  France Stohner, opened the event by providing the youth with a toolkit of strategies to shift from a scarcity mindset to one of abundance, allowing them to move through the rest of the event with intention and confidence. Throughout the day, Haji Ma, our meditation guide, led the participants through meditative pauses, teaching them how to take a moment to reflect. Together,  France and Haji created a safe and welcoming space that supported learning and growth. 

Stacks and Facts Sessions

PennyDrops McGill Chapter graciously led learning sessions on saving, credit, and money mindsets. The organization, championed by students for students, presented concepts that are often daunting in a manner that was comprehensive and relatable. Participants were eager to take note of the various tax-free savings accounts they could benefit from and the 50-30-20 rule that gave them a clear way to budget and save.

PennyDrops’ McGill Chapter graciously led learning sessions on saving, credit, and money mindsets. The organization—championed by students for students—presented concepts that are often daunting in a way that was both comprehensive and relatable. Participants were eager to learn about the various tax-free savings accounts available to them, as well as the 50-30-20 rule, which offered a clear framework for budgeting and saving.

Case Competition: $100 On The Line 

To conclude the workshop, participants stepped into the role of financial advisor and worked in groups to compete for the chance to win $100 each in our case competition. Each team received a scenario featuring someone in a challenging financial situation; either a TikTok influencer who had accumulated significant debt or a young NBA draft pick who had blown all their money away. 

Participants were given 30 minutes to identify the issue and recommend healthy financial habits based on what they learned in previous sessions with PennyDrops.  Each group then presented their solutions to a panel of judges, demonstrating its mastery of financial literacy skills.  

The Sun and Truth Foundation would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Ball Her Way, PennyDrops, Centre Kapwa, and Haji Ma for their collaboration, and to all participants who showed such eagerness to learn. Your dedication and partnership made this initiative possible, and we are deeply grateful.