Currently, the college program attracts students from across the U.S., with interns in cities including Chicago, Denver and New York. The nonprofit's high school program serves kids in the Chicago area. High school students spend six weeks during the summer learning about the finance industry by visiting different companies each day.
The pilot class consisted of five college students in 2016. Since then, the Greenwood Project has served over 400 high school and college students and plans to help 220 college students in 2022. Today students are recruited nationwide through online ads. Alumni serve as ambassadors recruiting students and showing them what prospects lay ahead.In the beginning, the couple relied on their social capital to find partner firms.
"In the summer of 2020 we went from 20 partners over three years, to ending the year with 30 partners." Bevon said.This year, the Greenwood Projectwith Citadel and Citadel Securities to expand its summer high school program. With funding from the Chicago-based hedge fund giant, the project will expand to over 60 high school students in Chicago's South and West sides.
Bevon says both students and partner firms benefit from these programs. Students learn more about the industry and gain access to mentorship. While firms, especially smaller firms, get access to an untapped talent pool. One of the shortcomings of modern recruiting, according to Bevon, is its lack of diversity."They keep fishing in the same ponds and don't look at a lot of smaller schools. We're disrupting financial recruiting," he said.Money 101 is an 8-week learning course to financial freedom, delivered weekly to your inbox. For the Spanish version Dinero 101, click here.