Financial Literacy Community Nights

Empower Your Community & Compete for Cash Prizes!

Are you passionate about financial education and making a difference in your community? The Financial Literacy Community Nights Project, aligned with DECA’s competition guidelines, is your opportunity to gain real-world experience, sharpen your project management skills, and compete for cash prizes while addressing critical financial literacy issues in your community.

Why Participate?
  • Make an Impact: Help your community build essential financial skills like budgeting, managing debt, and planning for the future.
  • Build Your Resume: Gain project management experience that colleges and employers value.
  • Win Cash Prizes: Teams competing in the Financial Literacy Community Nights Competition can win:
    • 🥇 First Place: $1,000
    • 🥈 Second Place: $500
    • 🥉 Third Place: $250

Prizes are awarded to the team to be shared among members.


How It Works

Teams will follow a structured project management approach to design and host a Community Financial Literacy Night:

1. Identify a Need
  • Use research or surveys to uncover financial knowledge gaps in your community.
  • Choose a topic that matters most—like budgeting, investing, or credit management.
2. Plan Your Event
  • Create a detailed project plan, including timelines, budgets, and team roles.
  • Develop educational materials tailored to your audience.
3. Host the Event
  • Organize an engaging and interactive event with activities like role-playing, Q&A sessions, and financial simulations.
  • Partner with local financial experts or businesses to add credibility.
4. Evaluate Your Impact
  • Gather feedback from attendees to measure how your event increased their financial confidence.
  • Submit a comprehensive report showcasing your project’s goals, execution, and results.

Topics You’ll Cover

Your project must address at least one of these key financial literacy areas:

  • Spending & Saving: Budgeting strategies for everyday life.
  • Credit & Debt: Managing debt and understanding credit scores.
  • Employment & Income: Basics of salaries, benefits, and career financial planning.
  • Investing: Building wealth through long-term financial growth.
  • Risk & Insurance: Protecting your finances with insurance and risk management.
  • Financial Decision-Making: Making smart, informed choices about money.

Judging Criteria

Your project will be evaluated based on:

  1. Community Need: How well does your project address a financial literacy gap?
  2. Project Management: Were your planning and execution effective?
  3. Innovation: Did you use creative approaches to engage your audience?
  4. Impact: How did your event improve financial literacy in your community?

How to Get Started
  1. Form your team and register your project.
  2. Begin identifying financial literacy needs in your community.
  3. Plan, execute, and evaluate your Financial Literacy Community Night.

Don’t wait—start planning your event today and make a lasting impact on your community while competing for exciting prizes!

For questions or to submit your project, contact the Utah Office of State Treasurer or your local DECA advisor. 


Download Guidelines

Register Project

Staff Contact:


Outreach Specialist
Karece Thompson
(385) 383-5600
[email protected]