We aim to empower all individuals and communities of all socio-economic statuses with easily accessible knowledge, resources, & skills to help work towards financial self-sufficiency, independence, security, and well-being, through literacy.
We offer free 1-on-1 education and coaching by providing the foundational knowledge and skills that are essential for successful financial decision-making, encouraging all to work towards their financial advancement.
We have also launched a completely free, online, and self-paced Financial Literacy Essentials (FinLitE) course, as a part of our FinVerse Academy. We call upon you to join us in advancing the literacy of this new world, by volunteering as a teacher or sharing any connects/resources, to make our mission a reality for all.
Reasons inhibiting access to education
Globally, 258 million children are not in school (59 million primary school age children, 62 million lower secondary school age children, and 138 million upper secondary school age children)
1
Underprivileged Schools
Millions of children live in underprivileged school districts, many of which are underfunded, and as a result are unable to provide high quality education to all. In the US, underprivileged school districts receive about $1,000 less per student in funding than the most privileged school districts. Globally, the annual public financing for education in a high-income country is on average more than 200-times higher per student than in a low-income country. 130 million children enrolled in school are not learning the basics, due to insufficient teacher training resources.
2
Poverty
Children from the poorest households are 3 times less likely to attend school than children from the richest households, and are 7 times more likely to drop out of school. In Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, 19% of primary school aged children are not in school, compared with 0.5% in North America. In general, out-of-school rates are much higher in low income countries than in higher income countries. Additionally, many children have to work in order to help out their family, further inhibiting their education (In 2020, there were 160 million child labor workers).
3
Conflict
Globally, 35% of all out-of-school children of primary age (22 million), 25% of all out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary age (15 million), and 18% of all out-of-school youth of upper secondary age live in conflict-affected areas (26 million). More than one-half of all youth are out of school in sub-Saharan Africa (58%) and nearly half of all youth in Southern Asia (46%). In the US, 71 percent of undocumented immigrants aged 18 and older had at most a high school education. Since the Ukraine conflict started, 75,000 children have become refugees each day.
If these problems persist, it is likely that globally, more than 1 out of 5 primary-age out-of-school children will never enter a classroom.
The Challenge
Globally, only 1/3 of adults understand basic financial concepts.
In the US, less than 38% of all public high school students receive more than 15 hours of formal Financial Literacy instruction in high school.
73% of people who had high financial literacy scores received financial education from personal experience, rather than formal instruction.
Financial illiteracy costs Americans $352 billion per year.
2 out of 3 women in US say they were not encouraged to pursue a career in STEM
Fewer than half of the schools in the US offer computer science classes.
The Solution
Financial literacy is a fundamental right and is the key to improving financial inclusion and access to financial services. The expansion of financial literacy is essential, whether it is by public policies mandating financial literacy courses in high schools or other means, we must empower all youth and adults with the knowledge and skills essential for successful financial decision-making.
How we help
We aim to empower individuals through our various literacy initiatives. We offer completely free literacy courses/classes/workshops and have created a library of resources to help people make better and more informed financial decisions.
Our classes/workshops are completely free, and feature live 1 on 1 sessions through video conferencing where we can instruct/coach you about the chosen topic and help answer your questions. Simply choose the topic that you would like to learn, and book the time slot that works best.
FinVerse Academy launches Financial Literacy Essentials (FinLitE) Course!
An immersive personal finance management course for teens/young adults
FinLitE Course Contents: Overview
After several months of research, effort, and development, we are excited to launch a completely free, online, and self-paced Financial Literacy Essentials (FinLitE) course, as a part of the Fluid Ice Foundation’s FinVerse Academy, to help accelerate and jumpstart the first steps of your financial literacy journey.
FinLitE course is a structured approach to help you learn essential concepts in personal finance management — everything from budgeting, savings, taxes, building credit, loans/debt, banking services, insurance, student loans, intro to investing, retirement planning, and more.
Accelerate your financial well-being journey!
Upon completion of FinLitE course, you will receive a certificate from the Fluid Ice Foundation recognizing and highlighting your successful completion of the first key steps towards financial well-being, which you can share on your resume, LinkedIn, or college applications!
“The number one problem in today's generation and economy is the lack of financial literacy.”
- Alan Greenspan (Economist and former chair of the USA Federal Reserve)
FinLitE Course
Take the first steps to increase your knowledge on several key/essential Personal Finance Management topics. We have compiled a curriculum to help walk you through many of the key topics in a step by step and structured approach. Upon successful completion, you will receive a valuable certificate from the Fluid Ice Foundation.
Macroeconomics is important for understanding broad economic parameters and how it impacts the overall business environment. Book a session to learn the below topics.
“We’re not going to improve our financial literacy rates until we start doing better at math.”
- Arne Duncan (former USA Secretary of Education)
K-12 Math (1-on-1 Session)
Develop a strong foundation for Math skills beginning at an early age. Let us know what topics you would like to learn (including but not limited to the below), and we can customize the session for you.
This is perfect for high school students who need help with the math sections of standardized tests and exams. Book a coaching session for any of the below standardized tests and exams.
To help develop advanced math skills that can help you be more successful in multiple aspects of your life/career. Book a session to learn/prepare for any of the below prestigious math competitions.
Knowledge of basic computer/data science and AI skills is essential in this new technology driven day and age. Book a coaching session for intros to any of the below topics.
"A language is not just words. It's a culture, a tradition, a unification of a community, a whole history that creates what a community is."
- Noam Chomsky (renowned American linguist and philosopher)
English (1-on-1 Session)
English is the most widely spoken language globally, and is especially prevalent in business/official contexts. Hence, English is considered to be a global “lingua franca.” Book a session to learn more about any of the below topics.
Spanish is widely spoken in the US and in several parts of the world. Perfect for those who are just beginning, and are looking to learn Spanish as an additional language in school. Book a session for any topics in the below school courses.
Hindi is one of the most widely spoken languages globally. Intended for those who are just beginning to learn Hindi as an additional language. Book a session to start learning the below.
Gujarati is one of the many regional Indian languages. Intended for those who are just beginning to learn Gujarati as an additional language. Book a session to start learning the below.
"Music brings us together, helping us reflect upon who we are, where we have come from, and what lies ahead. The arts and music transcend languages, cultures, and borders…and helps exchange ideas and styles and share in the artistic vibrancy born from diverse experiences and traditions."
- Barack Obama (former USA President)
Alto Saxophone (1-on-1 Session)
This is perfect for music enthusiasts who are just getting started with one of the most popular wind instruments: the alto saxophone. Book a coaching session for any of the below learnings.
This is perfect for music enthusiasts who are just getting started with the tenor saxophone, which is known most for its prevalence in jazz music. Book a coaching session for any of the below learnings.
This is perfect for music enthusiasts who are just getting started with the flute, which is one of the oldest instruments in existence. Book a coaching session for any of the below learnings.
This is perfect for music enthusiasts who are just getting started with the clarinet, one of the most versatile instruments in multiple genres. Book a coaching session for any of the below learnings.
Teachers • Homeschools • Organizations • Churches • Youth Groups • and more!
Our LearnED program offerings can be tailored and customized to create Partner Workshops for your community and organizational events. We work closely with our partners in defining program goals and collaborate with them to jointly deliver impact and extend educational opportunities in their communities.
to bring our mission of an inclusive society to life.
As a LearnED program volunteer, you will be able to impact several people’s lives by helping them gain financial literacy and STEM skills they need to be better positioned for their financial future. No prior teaching experience required; all you need is a passion for expanding literacy for all!
We are always looking to expand our financial literacy resource library. If you know of any additional resources, please share, & we will be glad to include it.
Raj Mehta is the Founder and CEO of the Fluid Ice Foundation. As a high school student in the Atlanta metro, Georgia, Raj always enjoys helping others, and aspires to give back to society at every opportunity that comes along. Raj is particularly passionate about financial inclusion, to expand access to financial services to the un/underbanked subsets of the population. Although the un/underbanked subsets of the population have always been excluded, the recent COVID pandemic has made it even more apparent, and caused them to be even further left behind. Raj sees himself as a “social impact catalyst” and a “changemaker” to help mitigate the financial divide, and he aims to make this a reality through his nonprofit – Fluid Ice Foundation. Raj is also a financial education instructor helping increase financial literacy awareness and education, especially amongst the underprivileged youth.
Raj is focused to be a social impact entrepreneur/innovator, championing sustainable innovation by transforming societal assets/capital to enable disruptive solutions providing a positive return to society.
On a more personal note, Raj enjoys mathematics and has won numerous prestigious math competitions (qualified to Mathcounts Nationals to represent the State of Georgia, AIME, AMC, etc.), is a proficient saxophonist (member, Georgia Music Educator’s Association (GMEA) Allstate Band), is an advanced chess player, and a professionally trained/skilled golfer. He is also an avid book reader in his spare time.
Vijay is the Banking and Capital Markets Leader for Deloitte South Asia. He has over 25 years of consulting experience spanning strategy, business planning, organizational transformation and M&A in India, as well as in Canada, the UK and South East Asia. Among other topics in banking and capital markets, he has significant experience in fintech solutions and related partnership models.
Vijay is also a founding team member of I_Imagine_India, an India-based philanthropic fund looking to empower non-government organizations and social entrepreneurs/pioneers in the field of education in India. I_Imagine_India’s goal is to enable small changes today in the field of primary/ pre-primary education, with the potential to deliver disproportionate learning outcome improvements over the longer term.
Vijay obtained an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (PGPX) and the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter from the USA.
Vijay is an Advisor to the Fluid Ice Foundation in his personal capacity and not on behalf of Deloitte or I_Imagine_India.
Saiprasad Muzumdar, Advisor
Saiprasad ‘Zoom’ Muzumdar, is an experienced Senior Technology Leader in International Banking and Finance Sector. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and a Master’s degree in Management. He has worked across the globe for International Fortune 500 companies such as Unisys, Citigroup, Lehman Brothers, Nomura, Royal Bank of Scotland/NatWest Group. He has conducted sessions on Financial Wellbeing for more than a decade with a mission to enhance financial inclusion and financial wellbeing through Financial literacy.
Amit Pandit, Advisor
Amit is a qualified chartered accountant with over 25 years of experience in banking, financial services, capital markets, risk advisory services & financial education. He has experience in building a primary market distribution network, investment banking and handling HNI relationships. He has been involved in personal finance restructuring of many individual businessmen. He has helped many business and individuals for their financial requirements be it for loan arrangements or debt management or asset management. He served as a director of the largest coop bank in India for over 13 years and as a director of a listed company for over 5 years.
He is also associated as a visiting faculty with various business schools for over a decade and takes up subjects of Personal Finance Planning, Wealth Management, Mergers & Acquisitions & Corporate Valuation. He also takes corporate training programs for finance. He speaks at various platforms on various finance, audit and risk related topics including ICAI, BCAS etc. Amit looks after the business building, financial & investor education function at Trugrow.
Amit enjoys his reading, is passionate about his teaching, likes travelling and exploring new destinations and is an avid foodie.
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