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The Money Club.Org

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A nonprofit teaching financial literacy, design thinking, AI, and public speaking.

The Maker Market

Students presenting ideas at a live maker market

The program ends with a live Maker Market.

Each team presents what they built.

• Products.

• Services.

• Apps. Ideas.

Every participant receives virtual cash and chooses what to spend it on.

That creates one real question.

No grades. Just decisions. Why would someone choose this?

The Maker Market

Where students test what they’ve built—in a structured, supportive environment

At the end of the program, students take part in the Maker Market.

It’s a guided, in-person showcase where each team presents what they’ve built and explains how it works.

They share:

  • what they created
  • what problem it solves
  • how they designed it
  • and why someone might choose it

This is not a competition.

It’s a structured way for students to see how their ideas land with others.

Students presenting at The Maker Market event

How It Works

Each student receives a small amount of virtual “budget.”

They explore what other teams have built.

They ask questions.

They think about what they value.

Then they decide how they would spend it.

Some support one idea.

Others spread their choices.

Every decision becomes part of the learning.

Students comparing projects and making choices

What Students Are Learning

Behind each project, students begin to understand:

  • What did it cost to make?
  • How much time went into it?
  • What price makes sense?
  • Would someone actually choose it?

They start to see the difference between:

  • an interesting idea
  • and one that works in practice
Students discussing costs and margins while building projects

Where Financial Literacy Becomes Real

Instead of learning concepts in isolation, students connect them:

  • Cost → Price → Margin
  • Time → Effort → Return
  • Value → Choice → Demand

They begin to understand not just how money works—but how decisions shape outcomes.

Students testing ideas and analyzing feedback

Presenting Their Work

Each team presents their project clearly and confidently.

They explain:

  • what they built
  • how they priced it
  • what they learned
  • what they would improve

They also answer questions and receive thoughtful feedback from others.

This helps students build confidence in how they communicate ideas.

Students presenting and answering questions

What Students Take Away

By the end of the Maker Market, students leave with:

  • something they built themselves
  • feedback from real people
  • a clearer understanding of what worked
  • stronger confidence presenting and explaining their thinking

Most importantly, they gain a practical sense of what makes something worth choosing.

Students reflecting on what worked and what to improve

Why This Matters

Many programs stop at ideas.

This is where students see what happens next.

They learn how to test thinking, adapt, and improve—skills that carry far beyond the classroom.

Students testing and improving their ideas together

The Core Idea

A good idea is not enough.

It has to make sense in time, cost, and value.

That is what students test here.

This is the core of the Maker Market.

Time matters. Cost matters. Value matters.

Students learn what holds up and what needs to improve.

That is the core idea.

Students working on a hands-on packaging activity

Who Will Love This Program?

This program tends to fit students who like:

  • building things
  • asking questions
  • figuring out how something works
  • testing ideas
  • explaining their thinking

If this sounds like your child, the format usually fits well.

Students presenting project

WHAT STUDENTS EXPERIENCE

What Students Take Away

By the end of the sprint, students do not just have an idea.

They have something they built, tested, and presented.

They can show:

  • What they made
  • How people responded
  • What they would improve

They can explain what worked and what they would change next.

This is the final test of what they built.

Students presenting their final project to an audience

Free Info Session — Learn About The Money Club.Org

April 18 • Live video session • 30 minutes

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Small groups • Ages 10–16 • Downtown Toronto • UTSU Student Commons Ready to register now? Complete registration here →