Rapunzl Awarded $500,000 To Scale Financial Education, Break 'Cycle Of Generational Poverty'

When Chicago-based investment-education program provider Rapunzl won the STOP Award at the annual Yass Prize competition, the company was acknowledged as one of the nation’s leading producers of education programs and given funds, $500,000, to continue it.

“So many people view the world of investing and the returns of Wall Street as something that’s perched in an ivory tower, inaccessible to most people',' says Brian Curcio, Rapunzl’s founder and CEO, on scaling financial education programs nationwide.

“Rapunzl transforms the way we teach kids about money so that every student can climb to financial success because financial literacy is critical in breaking the cycle of generational poverty.”

The Yass Prize honors America’s top education providers utilizing STOP — Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding and Permission-less — principles. The STOP Awards initiative provides more than $20 million in support annually. It also recognizes and rewards outstanding providers who augment their education programs via financial support, collaboration and coaching.

Rapunzl was one of nine finalists for the 2022 award.

“We were thrilled to find these education change-makers and are grateful to be able to reward their extraordinary creativity, tenacity and achievements,” said Janine Yass, founder of the Yass Prize. “After 25 years and countless dollars in charitable giving, this is by far the most impactful thing we have ever done with our resources.”

The Yass Prize is administered by the Center for Education Reform (CER), based in Washington, D.C. The CER serves as headquarters for the Yass Foundation for Education, as well. Jeanne Allen, founder of the Yass Prize, is also the founder of CER, and currently serves as its CEO.

Courtesy Photo.