To all the schools and the people within them that support Rock The Street, Wall Street,
Thank you. You graciously agreed to open your doors to our program. You recruited students to join the program. You secured classroom space for our volunteers to instruct your students. You served as chaperones on our trips. You coordinated field trip transportation so our girls could have life-changing experiences. You stayed late to lock the doors after we left.
However, as any educator knows, you have done much more than the logistics. You opened girls minds to the benefits of being financially responsible at an early age and the possibility of pursuing a career in finance or other business related professions. You helped us teach girls that there is no truth to “girls are not good at math.” You inspired confidence and helped them push themselves to new limits. You have done all this on top of working full time as an educator, a job that already demands so much.
For this, and so much more, you have our deepest thanks and we look forward to working with many of you again next year.
Sincerely,
Maura Cunningham, Founder and CEO
A map of the states where RTSWS programs were offered in 2018-2019
What Do Our School Champions Have To Say About Rock The Street, Wall Street?
Lincoln Park High School, Chicago
“We wanted girls to be able to realize that math, science, business, and finance were areas that they could excel in, that they could go and they could enjoy and they could be a part of.
They have learned to think in a broader perspective. To think about things they would have never thought of on their own. And I think coming here today to this building and seeing what actually goes on – there are ways for all types of thinking within it. It doesn’t mean you have to have to go on to work on Wall Street and become a trader. I think anything that enhances students awareness of realities beyond the ones they live in is positive. It is all about envisioning beyond the world you live in.”
Panther Creek High School, Raleigh, North Carolina
“After every session, the girls were always ready for the next. It was always “When is our next session? What are we gonna be doing?” And then when it came to the last session and they were going to present their budgets, they were so excited: “Oh, we got to research this, and we’re going to explain why we think this client doesn’t need these things in their budget.”
On the field trip, I could see it in their eyes – amazement and support for women in the field of finance. I can see how it will impact their future, what decisions they’re making about careers, and for me, that’s what it’s all about, so this has been incredible.”
Independence Academy, Nashville, TN
“For a lot of our girls, it can be really hard to be what you can’t see. A lot of them don’t have women in their families that work in business or professional fields. So when they get to college, when they finish high school, they’ll be able to think back on this experience and know what their possibilities are and be able to explore.”
Baruch College Campus High School, New York, NY
“I see the impact that RTSWS has had on our girls. We have girls who have maintained relationships with mentors from last spring—they still communicate. They have learned the art of networking and how important that is in today’s world especially…
Seeing the connections today, with the top business leaders at Nasdaq giving their personal email addresses to 15-year-old females who are excited and may have a follow-up question afterward…”
The Frontlines Of Our Mission; A Profile Of Our School Champions
Rock The Street, Wall Street went from six cities in 2017-2018 to 13 cities in 2018-2019, and went from 10 schools to 18 schools, coast to coast. We achieved this growth with the help of the faculties and administrators within those schools and the female investment professionals who volunteered their time.
Here are our partners in creating the next generation of mathematically and financially empowered women:
- Baruch College Campus High School, New York, NY
- Burke High School, Omaha, NE
- Byron Nelson High School, Ft. Worth, TX
- Centennial High School, Nashville, TN
- C.K. McClatchy High School, Sacramento, CA
- Harvard-Westlake School, Los Angeles, CA
- Hopkins High School, Minneapolis, MN
- Hunter College High School, New York, NY
- Independence Academy, Nashville, TN
- Lincoln Park High School, Chicago, IL
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Magnet High School, Nashville, TN
- Maynard Holbrook Jackson High School, Atlanta, GA
- Merrimack High School, Merrimack, NH
- Panther Creek High School, Raleigh, NC
- Parkway Central High School, St. Louis, MO
- Rosemont High School, Sacramento, CA
- South Mecklenburg High School, Charlotte, NC
- V.R. Eaton High School, Ft. Worth, TX
Heading into 2019-2020, all signs point to RTSWS impacting an even greater number of girls around the country. These girls will have a much less negative affective reaction to the word “math” and learn how to invest in a stock or bond, negotiate a salary, and understand the pay gap.
