Native Economic and Financial Education Empowerment (NEFEE)
The Native Economic and Financial Education Empowerment (NEFEE) program is headquartered at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis as part of the St. Louis Fed’s commitment to serve the public. Founded in 2018, NEFEE supports the financial and economic well-being of tribal nations and Native communities across the United States by strengthening access to economic and personal finance education. The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta also supports NEFEE initiatives and engagement activities.
Our Approach
We engage tribal leadership and Native educators to better understand the unique financial education needs of their communities. We value understanding the lived experiences and cultures of the communities we serve to develop a tailored financial education plan.
How We Help
NEFEE partners with tribal nations, Native communities and schools to provide free financial education resources for tribal programs and classrooms focused on pre-K, K-12 and postsecondary education. NEFEE provides free training for staff and educators to develop content knowledge and skills to teach personal finance in their communities. Resources include videos, group activities, workbooks and lessons aligned to school standards, focused on personal finance concepts like:
- Decision-making
- Using credit
- Alternative lending
- Budgeting & spending
- Protecting & insuring
- Investing basics
- Saving & savings goals
- Banking basics
- Career exploration
Megan Cruz, Research Officer
NEFEE Leadership
The Native Economic and Financial Education Empowerment Program (NEFEE) at the St. Louis Fed is led by Megan Cruz. Megan manages personal finance and economic education programs for tribal nations and Native communities.
What is the Federal Reserve?
The Federal Reserve is the central bank of the United States. The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis is one of 12 regional Reserve banks in the Federal Reserve System promoting a healthy and inclusive economy for all Americans.
