FSOS graduate student builds new Minnesotan's financial literacy

Miguel Quiñones, a Ph.D. candidate in Family Social Science, is collaborating with two local non-profits, Minnesota Financial Empowerment Initiative (MNFEI) and Learning In Style, to develop a culturally responsive financial education program designed for immigrant and refugee learners. MNFEI specializes in financial education programming for local organizations and communities across the Twin Cities. Learning in Style provides immigrant and refugee adults from over 15+ countries with English, math, computer, and citizenship education and training. 

The collaboration began when MNFEI's founder, Jack Hansen, reached out to Quiñones after his presentation on Culturally-Responsive Financial Education for the Minnesota Council on Economic Education earlier this year.  He has since joined MNFEI's board of directors, helping revise and update content for their existing programs, and more recently, develop a new program in partnership with Learning in Style. 

This work is a continuation of Quiñones' research agenda and leadership in this content area. In October, he also took part in National Endowment for Financial Education's (NEFE) biannual Financial Innovation and Impact Summit, an event that brings together leading scholars, industry professionals, and policy advocates in the field of financial education. He spoke on a panel about the emerging concept of Financial Interdependence and ways to integrate it into financial education curriculum. 

Last year Quiñones was named the winner of the 2023 "Putting It into Practice Award" for his presentation "“What Is ‘Culturally Relevant’ Financial Education, Really? Bridging Theory and Practice" at the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education (AFCPE) Symposium in New Orleans.