I created CFE because I experienced firsthand what millions of teens face globally: finance shapes our futures, yet it's rarely taught in a way that feels relevant or accessible to us. As a high school student, I kept seeing peers make uninformed financial decisions — not out of carelessness, but simply because no one had ever taught them the basics.
Traditional curricula either skip financial education entirely or present it in ways too abstract to apply to real life. I believed students shouldn't have to wait for school systems to catch up. So in September 2023, I launched CFE — an organization where students could learn finance, build confidence, and grow together in a supportive community.
I wanted to create something scalable and accessible, which is why the club-in-a-box model was central from the start. Any school, anywhere in the world, can launch a chapter at no cost. What began as a single initiative has since grown to 9 countries, reaching hundreds of students through hands-on learning, competitions, and real-world financial education.
In practice, CFE operates through a global network of 31 student-led school clubs across 9 countries, each running our turn-key "club-in-a-box" program. To date, our chapters have directly educated over 1,500 students. When a school joins, they receive everything they need from day one — a structured curriculum covering budgeting, saving, credit, investing, and macroeconomics, along with session guides, activities, and access to our chapter network.
A typical CFE chapter meets regularly during or after school, with student leaders facilitating sessions for their peers. Sessions are hands-on: students work through real-world financial scenarios, simulations, and debates. Chapters also invite industry professionals as guest speakers for workshops, bridging learning with real-world experience.
Beyond the classroom, CFE hosts competitions that challenge students to apply financial thinking creatively — and seminars that connect concepts to real careers and real life.
CFE is officially supported by UNEC Business School, ranked 1st in Azerbaijan and South Caucasus by Times Higher Education. Our 9 partnerships span 7 countries with a collective reach of 8,000+ students, through organisations including The Youth Café (Kenya), Manav Sadhna (India), Finance Friend (Nepal), YPDP (Zambia), YIEPA (UAE), Eklipse Education, EconScholar, and USAEO (US).
Because the model is fully resourced and free to join, it works across all school environments globally.
CFE has spread through a combination of student networks, word of mouth, social media, and nonprofit discovery platforms such as Idealist. When a chapter launches successfully, students from nearby schools — or different countries — reach out wanting to replicate the model. Our chapter application is open year-round to any high school student worldwide, removing friction and enabling rapid growth.
Since founding in September 2023, CFE has grown to 31 chapters across 9 countries with no paid marketing. Growth has been driven entirely by student passion and the strength of the model itself. Our 9 strategic partnerships with organisations across 7 countries — including Africa's largest youth network, The Youth Café — have further amplified our reach to 8,000+ students. Competitions and workshops have also attracted attention beyond our existing chapters, bringing new schools and students into the network organically.
Since launch, we've continuously refined our curriculum based on chapter feedback, making sessions more interactive and locally relevant. Competitions were added as a core component after we saw how much students responded to challenge-based learning — including partnerships with EconScholar and USAEO to bring olympiad-level competitions to our students. Later, we introduced guest speaker workshops, bringing in industry professionals to connect classroom learning to real-world finance in a way even a practical curriculum alone couldn't achieve.
Partnering with UNEC Business School was a turning point — their academic oversight helped us sharpen the programme's rigour and credibility. Our growing network of 9 strategic partners across 7 countries has also directly shaped the innovation itself, with organisations like the Finance Friend providing on-the-ground insight into what students in different contexts actually need, contributing to meaningful improvements in our materials. This feedback loop has made CFE stronger with every partnership added.
Visit councilfe.org and apply to start a chapter at your school. You need to be a high school student with a passion for financial literacy, basic communication skills, and official permission from your school. There is no cost involved. Once approved, you'll receive full access to CFE's curriculum, resources, and global chapter network — everything you need to launch your first session.
