Elesea: The Financial Skills Challenge

Youth economic advancement

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit) San Gabriel Valley South LA East LA

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Opportunity Youth, defined as youth aged 16 to 24 and not in school or work, face a world demanding financial literacy, yet few are taught how to manage, grow, or keep money. Schools skip over budgeting, credit, or taxes—or teach them in ways that feel irrelevant and boring. Many grow up believing the only path to success is becoming a pro athlete or entertainer, because real financial paths aren’t shown in ways they can see themselves in. Just giving youth money or jobs isn’t enough if they don’t know how to keep them. Many lose jobs due to soft skill gaps, or spend money without understanding debt, interest, or savings. Worse, most “solutions” are built by adults disconnected from youth realities. Without tools that speak their language and engage their experience, we’re not preparing them, we’re setting them up. They need real-world skills, safe ways to fail, and relatable pathways to success that prepare them for the realities of their lived experience.

Elesea is a financial literacy game designed to do what schools and programs often miss: teach real-world money skills in a way that’s actually fun, relatable, and built for youth. Players face unexpected life events such as rent hikes, surprise bills, job loss while learning how to budget, save, invest, and navigate choices. It’s not about just making money; it’s about keeping it, growing it, and understanding how life can impact your wallet. Unlike traditional lessons, this game meets youth where they are, through storytelling, co-design, play, and consequence-driven decisions. It demystifies credit, debt, and wealth-building in a hands-on way, and shows that being financially smart is more powerful (and possible) than chasing fame or luck. As the sessions progress the participants will be able to tailor it to their lived experiences and expectations. Elesea is a safe space to fail, learn, and try again so when real life hits, they’re not starting from scratch. They're starting with skills.

The Elesea program has the potential to make a meaningful impact on Los Angeles County by equipping Opportunity Youth with the tools, confidence, and connections they need to navigate the job market and build sustainable financial futures. Through our pilot cohorts, we will assess changes in participants’ self-efficacy, knowledge of employment pathways, and outlook on their future using pre- and post-program surveys, with a follow-up six months later to track employment outcomes. We anticipate that the majority of participants will report finding gainful employment, and a successful pilot will position us to expand the program across the County, reaching more youth and strengthening the region’s workforce and communities through innovative, play-based learning.