Creating a New Model for Financial Education
- October 29, 2019
This story is part of a series that spotlights our employees here at GreenPath. We hope these stories will give you a behind-the-scenes glimpse into their daily lives, and how they strive to make an impact by helping people improve their financial wellness. Today’s story is about Chris Dlugozima, Learning Experience Designer.
In my current role as a Learning Experience Designer, my team and I look for ways to bring positive change about financial health to every community in America. We accomplish this through partnerships and innovation using design principles.
When I first started at GreenPath Financial Wellness in 2001, we weren’t even called GreenPath. (At the time, we were Credit Counseling Centers, Inc.) Back then, I was a financial counselor in our Lower Manhattan office. I found the mission to support thousands of people on their way to financial health so fulfilling.
As the Great Recession took hold, I started to wonder if there was a way to reach people before they encountered a financial crisis. This thinking opened the door to a new role focused on outreach and education in New York City and the surrounding communities. While in this position, I led hundreds of financial education classes, but still wondered what more could be done to go beyond simply improving people’s knowledge of financial wellness. How might we design ways to support improved financial behavior and habits?
Today, my goal is to make financial education more fun and approachable. For example, I’m working on a project to teach people about homeownership by enabling conversation about financial wellness with friends over a shared meal. Ideas such as this give people a voice to talk about money, removing the stigma that the topic is off-limits.
We often tell people that they’re not alone—through our podcast, we’ll show people that they’re not alone.
Outside of my life at GreenPath, I’m a tutor for a test prep company. Who says high school math doesn’t come in handy? I’m also a volunteer Wish Granter with The Make-A-Wish Foundation. I experienced the power of a wish as a sibling of a wish child. It’s so rewarding to help dreams come true.
Learn more about the role of GreenPath Learning Experience Designer:
