About Us
The Captain Clifford E. Smith Financial Literacy Initiative for Youth (FLI4Youth) is a community outreach effort of the Financial Empowerment Center, an IRS 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. The FLI4Youth vision was created from the heart and passion of Captain Smith at the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD). He has always been interested in educating youth on financial literacy, especially those in impoverished areas where access to such resources is limited.
The acronym, "D.I.R.O." (Dissect, Investigate, Regurgitate, and Operate), has taught Captain Smith the benefits of properly dissecting information with the goal of making better, more informed decisions
At FLI4Youth, our mission is to educate youth on the principles, powers, and pitfalls of finances. Our services are available to all youth regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or socio-economic status. We strive to help students to become financially literate before the age of eighteen.
About Captain Clifford E. Smith
Born into a family of 7 children in Houston, Texas, Clifford E. Smith (Smitty) was raised by a single mother who instilled the importance of church and faith in her children from a young age. Upon adulthood and due to his family's lack of resources, Smitty had no choice but to enter the workforce to fend for himself; following suit with his older brothers.
Smitty joined the United States Air Force which brought him to California where he served his country for 3 years. After completing his service, he landed upon a job refueling aircrafts at LAX. During his time at LAX, he met his now wife of 33 years, Ola Smith. Subsequent to their convergence, they got married and welcomed their first child together.
10 Pillars of Financial Literacy
The Ten Pillars provide the financial scaffolding upon which a life characterized by wise financial decisions will be established. No longer will a “lack of knowledge” limit the financial empowerment of youth living in the communities we serve. FLI4Youth will become a change agent on the road to financial empowerment.
Key Projects
For High School age students, the academy is once a week for 10 weeks. During this 10 week period we do multiple activities that demonstrate the aspects of finance that we study. Here are a couple of our projects.
Testimonials
Our Team
Our Sponsors
We have multiple companies that donate to FLI4Youth. If you would like your company to be recognized in this section please contact us.
