City of Fayetteville Officially Recognizes Money Box Academy for Financial Literacy Leadership
April 30, 2026
On Monday, April 27, 2026, the City of Fayetteville issued an official proclamation designating April as Financial Literacy Month and naming Money Box Academy Inc. as a driving force behind that recognition in Cumberland County and across the region.
We were at Fayetteville City Hall at 6 p.m. that evening. Our founder, Crystal McLean, stood alongside instructors and community partners to receive that proclamation together, because that is exactly what it was: a collective moment.
This recognition did not happen because of one person or one program. It happened because of every instructor who showed up to facilitate with care, every partner who opened their doors to our workshops, every student who sat down and decided their financial future was worth paying attention to, and every community member who believed that financial education belongs to everyone, not just a few.
From Left to Right: Councilman Malik Davis, Crystal McLean, Founder of Money Box Academy, and Mayor Mitch Colvin, providing the City Proclamation for April as National Financial Literacy Month
What This Proclamation Represents
Fayetteville City Councilman Malik Davis was instrumental in bringing this proclamation forward. He spoke clearly about why this work matters in our community.
It is meaningful to have a city put that in writing. It is also a responsibility.
As Crystal shared that evening: “When a city says your work matters enough to put it in writing, that is not just an honor. That is a call to keep going.”
That is exactly how we are treating it.
What We Have Been Building
Money Box Academy has been delivering shame-free, community-centered financial literacy programming since July 2024. In less than two years, we have grown to serve youth, families, college students, seniors, and faith communities across seven cities in North Carolina: Charlotte, Raleigh, Robeson, Hoke, Fayetteville, Hope Mills, and Wilmington.
Our active institutional partnerships include Fayetteville Technical Community College, Fayetteville State University, various Cumberland County Schools, and Miller-Motte College, with future programming in development with Methodist University.
This April alone, we facilitated workshops at Miller-Motte College, hosted the Digital Financial Readiness Lab for seniors navigating online financial tools, completed the Financial Bunker Series (a three-night virtual experience focused on economic preparedness and financial resilience), and wrapped up our student investment program through the Stock Market Game. That is one month of work, across multiple communities and populations, and our instructors and partners showed up for every piece of it.
What Is Coming Next
The proclamation was received during one of our most active seasons, and we are not slowing down.
This summer, Money Box Academy is partnering with the City of Fayetteville and the Cumberland County Parks and Recreation Department to bring financial literacy education directly to summer interns. The program is designed to meet young people at the beginning of their workforce journey and equip them with practical tools around budgeting, saving, and building a financial foundation they can actually use.
We are also launching the second cohort of the High School Financial Bootcamp, building on the momentum of last year’s inaugural program. The bootcamp will be held at Fayetteville Technical Community College from June 8 through June 12, 2026, running each day from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The program is open to high school students across the region and is designed to deliver intensive, hands-on financial education in an engaging, practical format grounded in the real decisions young people face every day.
Seats are limited. If you have a student in your life who is ready to build that foundation, we want to hear from you.
Crystal McLean, Founder of Money Box Academy Inc, holding the signed and sealed City of Fayetteville Financial Literacy Month Proclamation in Front of City Hall in Fayetteville, NC
Financial Education Is a Right
Money Box Academy’s work is built on one core belief: financial education is not a luxury for the few. It is a pathway to generational wealth and community resilience, and it belongs to every person who is ready to receive it.
We are grateful to the City of Fayetteville for this recognition. We are grateful to Councilman Davis for championing it. And we are grateful to every single person who has made this work possible.
We are just getting started.
City of Fayetteville Leadership and Community Supporters, acknowledging and celebrating the Proclamation of National Financial Literacy Month in the City of Fayetteville, received by Money Box Academy Inc.
Read the full feature coverage from The Exclusive Press: City of Fayetteville Proclaims April Financial Literacy Month, Recognizing Money Box Academy’s Work Across the Region.
For more information about upcoming programs, workshops, and partnership opportunities, visit moneyboxacademy.org or reach out directly at connect@moneyboxacademy.org.
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