This new report on Financial Empowerment and Positive Youth Development details SJC youth participants' views on financial empowerment, as explored in focus groups across partner cities, and highlights how financial empowerment can support positive youth development (PYD) efforts. PYD describes ideal outcomes for youth, as well as the processes through which they achieve these outcomes. 
 
Key findings include:
Municipal Financial Empowerment Has a Critical Role in Positive Youth Development: Financial knowledge and skills are particularly important parts of the positive pathways described in the PYD field. Policymakers and leaders at the local level can play a key role in providing opportunities that support positive youth development, such as those in Summer Jobs Connect.
Youth See Financial Capability as Key to Personal Development: Focus group research shows that youth, themselves, see financial empowerment as critical to their personal development, building confidence, competence, connection, and agency. In addition, focus groups underscored the importance of supporting financial problem solving as a way to meet PYD goals.
Youth Voices Should Be Involved in Program Design: Focus group findings also suggest ways to target SYEP financial education more effectively to youth interests and circumstances, including through addressing financial goals in distinct and relevant timeframes and connecting financial education to the payroll experience.