Posted on Jul 18, 2012

Every so often, we come across something that makes us say, We wish they had that when we were kids!

And were not just talking about the Diane von Furstenberg collection at Gap. either.

Intrigued? So were we. So we called up the masterminds behind two of the most interesting (and free!) programs weve come across to learn more about their missions, their tactics and their success.

The Program: Invest in Girls

Sponsored by. Invest in Girls

Who Its For: Girls ages 15-18

Where Its Held: Westover, Milton Academy and Middlesex Schools in Boston (with plans to expand)

Although the program is currently only being developed and tested in three Boston-area private schools, it will expand into select public and charter schools in Massachusetts and Connecticut in 2013.

The aim of IIG is to interest girls in careers in finance, which is why the program begins in high school. We want to get girls interested in careers in the financial world, as well as help them become financially independent, explains Gabrielle Rossetti, IIG Program Manager. Were trying to pique their interest in the financial world right as they start thinking about what theyll study in college.

But IIG isnt just looking to get more girls into corporate finance. We do workshops with the aim of teaching financial literacy, Rossetti says. We want the girls to have the confidence to be financially independent. When you feel confident about how you manage money, you’ll feel confident in other aspects of your life, including your career. It’s all connected.

The Program: The Girls Inc./ING Investment Challenge

Sponsored by. ING

Who Its For: Girls ages 12-18

Where Its Held: Affiliated high schools in New York City, Denver, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Holyoke, MA, Houston and Washington, DC 

Details: The ING Foundation, which is the community outreach branch of ING U.S. and Girls Inc. a nonprofit dedicated to the empowerment and advancement of girls across the country, have partnered to offer the Girls Inc./ING Investment Challenge. where teams of girls across the country learn to create and manage their own $50,000 virtual investment portfolios in accordance with the real patterns of the markets.

The best part? The team that makes the most money is awarded two-thirds of the investment gains in the portfolio as a college scholarship (the remaining third going to the local Girls Inc. affiliate to support programming). This years winning team was from the Urban Assembly Institute of Math & Science for Young Women in Brooklyn, and we were lucky enough to speak with two members: Samarra  Scantlebury (left) and DLeslie Jarvis (right.)

The girls, who both do community service and participate in cheerleading and dance, respectively, have been involved with the program since its inception in 2009 and have made $25,000 in returns after three years of investing as a team. When I first heard [about the program], I was interested because I heard on the news about the stock market, and I’m always interested in making more money, explains DLeslie. I was especially interested because I’m a woman, and I hear there aren’t a lot of women investors in the world. Were making a difference one step at a time.

And what has been the most valuable takeaway of the program? When we went to the New York Stock Exchange and the symposium last summer, the men who were there were like, We need to hire you guys! says Samarra. We were able to meet with professional people who we can connect with in the future for internships and maybe even jobs.

Would you send your daughter to one of these programs? And how is your community teaching girls about money?