Financial Wizards

Businessman checking stock market data on tablet at night background
 

Financial Wizards

Financial Wizards logo

Registration for 2025 Financial Wizards is now open!
This year’s program dates are:

July 12-17, 2025

Apply Now!

Financial Wizards is a week-long summer program for deaf or hard-of-hearing students entering 10th, 11th, and 12th grade. The program aims to enhance their financial literacy skills and provides an opportunity to explore various careers in finance and administration.

At Financial Wizards, students will:

Explore diverse careers in finance and administration, including roles such as corporate finance, accountant, financial analyst, and investment banking.

Connect with fellow high school students who share a passion for finance and business.

Use state-of-the-art lab equipment to engage in a stock market app and solve fun challenges.

Get a taste of college life by staying in RIT dormitories.

Have fun and learn new skills! 

Financial Wizards is the result of a partnership between CSD Learns and the SIFMA Foundation. The SIFMA Foundation is renowned for its commitment to delivering outstanding financial literacy programs, while CSD Learns brings a unique and effective bicultural and bilingual pedagogical approach to the table. Together, we strive to enhance economic opportunities for deaf and hard-of-hearing youth in K-12 education settings.

Students who attend Financial Wizards can receive a $1,000 scholarship and an application fee waiver when enrolling at RIT/NTID. 

Please note that this scholarship cannot be combined with awards from other summer programs.

About Financial Wizards:

  • Cost of the program is free – covered generously by Communication Services for the Deaf under the Financial Wizards program grant.
  • Space is limited: Financial Wizards accepts up to 25 participants.
  • Students are responsible for travel expenses to the program.
  • Program classes are offered in English and American Sign Language.
  • Parents are invited to attend a workshop to learn about NTID financial aid and how your student can attend NTID. 
  • The program is certified by the New York State Department of Health.
  • The program follows the National Science Education Standards.

Program Activities

The Financial Wizards daytime schedule for the week will guide students through various locations, offering activities where they can: 

  • Generate an account with pretend funds and play in the Stock Market Game™ against other colleges
  • Meet NTID faculty members and explore the campus through a guided tour
  • Enhance their knowledge in business and finance 
  • Visit RIT’s Stock Market lab and gain insights into RIT’s Saunders College of Business programs.

In the evening, students will:

  • Enjoy recreational activities indoors and outdoors
  • Visit an amusement park
  • Socialize with other Financial Wizards participants.
  • Gain insights into the student experience at RIT/NTID

Activities are subject to change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Financial Wizards provides an exciting platform for deaf and hard-of-hearing high school students to actively participate in the competitive Stock Market Game™. This hands-on experience not only cultivates financial literacy, but also fosters teamwork, critical thinking, and strategic decision-making skills. The program lasts for one week and is held on the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) campus.

The program is open to deaf and hard-of-hearing students entering 10th, 11th, and 12th grade in fall 2025.

Students will participate in activities that will challenge their mind and equip them with essential financial literacy skills through an immersive and inclusive experience. They will work with other students and instructors in a group of 25-30 people.

Some additional things students will do during Financial Wizards are: 

  • Learn essential financial literacy skills to play the Stock Market Game  
  • Tour the RIT campus and visit one of our high-tech Stock Market Labs at the Saunders College of Business
  • Meet NTID faculty and staff in the NTID Business Studies program
  • Find out what kind of finance and administrative careers suit your interests and skills
  • Besides the academic activities, students will also have plenty of opportunities to socialize and have fun with other students. They will stay in a dorm room on the RIT campus with a roommate and enjoy group activities in the afternoon and evening, such as: 
    • Playing games and making friends with other students 
    • Doing sports and other recreational activities 
    • Going to an amusement park
    • Exploring the RIT/NTID campus and learning about college life.

 All the activities are supervised by staff and designed to make your experience at Financial Wizards enjoyable and memorable!

The stock market game is an educational simulation that allows participants to experience the dynamics of trading stocks in a virtual environment. It is often used in classrooms as a teaching tool to introduce students to the basics of investing, financial markets, and economic concepts. Participants in the stock market game are given a virtual budget to invest in stocks, bonds, or other financial instruments. The goal is to make informed investment decisions, manage a portfolio, and potentially achieve profitable returns.

This year’s program dates are July 12-17, 2025.

You will receive a confirmation email from us once we have received an online application and required forms. This means there is a spot reserved for you in the program.

Students will stay in a dorm room on the RIT campus with a roommate. This is a great way to experience what it’s like to live in a college setting!

Students will have three meals a day at an RIT campus dining hall, which offers a variety of food options. There are also vending machines and other places on campus where students can buy snacks if they get hungry between meals.

Students should arrive at the CSD Student Development Center (SDC), Building 55, first floor lobby area on the RIT campus between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 12, 2025. The program concludes and departures begin on Thursday, July 17, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.

On the last day of the program, students will have a chance to learn more about how to prepare for college and choose the right courses in high school. Students will also hear from college admissions counselors about what they look for in applicants.

Students are responsible for arranging transportation to and from the program. If you are flying, we recommend that you fly into the Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC), not to the airport in Buffalo. The reason is that the Rochester airport is closer to the RIT campus and we can provide a shuttle service from and to the airport. If you fly into the Buffalo airport, you will have to arrange your own transportation to and from the campus, which is about an hour and a half drive away.

From the airport, train or bus station, shuttle transportation is available directly to RIT for $10 each way. Let us know if you want shuttle transportation, and we will make reservations for you. 
 
RIT/NTID staff will be at the airport/train station/bus station to greet you; no matter which mode of transportation and/or arrival time, if we have your information and you requested the shuttle, we will have a staff member there to meet you.
 
If you are driving, you can find directions to the RIT campus here. There is free parking available on campus for visitors.

For emergencies, please call RIT Public Safety at 585-475-3333.

Travel Information

Rochester skyline at night

Directions to RIT/NTID

Local hotel information

Rochester area restaurants

Most airlines require students to purchase assistance for unaccompanied minors. Listed below are links to the major airlines' policies:

If you have any questions or concerns about transportation, please contact us at 585-475-6700 or email us at outreach@ntid.rit.edu.

For parents who are staying in Rochester during Financial Wizards, here are some websites and pages with information about nearby sights and activities:

Apply Now!

Before you apply

You are eligible if:

  • you are entering 10th, 11th, or 12th grade in fall 2025.
  • you are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
  • You are 16-19 years old as of August 1, 2025.

 
Application Process

For us to consider your application, you need to submit the application along with two required documents below: 

  • An official copy of your high school transcript from 9th grade to the present
  • A copy of your unaided audiogram (results without hearing aid or cochlear implant)

Complete the online application and click submit. After you submit your application electronically you need to mail the two required items, listed above, to the address below. Acceptance into the program is contingent on you submitting the required information.

Mail all required documents to:

Rochester Institute of Technology
Financial Wizards Program
52 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, New York 14623-5604

or FAX documents to 585-475-2696.

Pay program fees here

Required Forms

After filling out the online application, please download and complete the forms below. Return completed forms to the address below by May 31, 2025. 

Please send the completed forms to:

NTID Outreach Consortium
Financial Wizards
Rochester Institute of Technology
52 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, New York 14623
 
If you are unable to download the forms or if you have questions, please fill out our contact form, or get in touch with us by e-mail, or by phone at 585-475-7695 (voice) or 585-286-4555 (VP).

Contact Us

For questions about the program or to get more information, contact us through the following channels:

By Mail:

NTID Outreach Consortium
Rochester Institute of Technology
National Technical Institute for the Deaf
Lyndon Baines Johnson Building
52 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, New York 14623-5604

By Phone:

585-475-7695 (voice)
585-286-4555 (videophone)

You can also contact us by email at NTIDoutreach@rit.edu or use the form below.