Diamond Bar High School’s American Enterprise Project (AEP), organized by DBHS Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), aims to teach students about financial literacy through interactive presentations, events, and activities. The DBHS AEP took the form of $tartSmart, a program that introduced students to business fundamentals through club meetings, classroom presentations, and the Quick Pitch competition, which gave students the opportunity to design their own product and pitch it to experienced judges.
“Financial education is an incredibly crucial and useful asset to students’ readiness for the real world,” FBLA President of External Affairs Grace Wen said. “[It] acts as a foundation for facing the expenses of life, from paying school tuition and rent to buying clothes and a house. Without basic financial knowledge, it may be confusing or stressful when one encounters financial problems in the future.”
$tartSmart launched in October 2024, with the Young Investors Society, as part of a biweekly lunch time program aiming to educate students financially. Aside from this, they also celebrated American Enterprise Day on November 15, and worked with the Financial Literacy Club from Claremont McKenna College, involving guest speakers that were DBHS graduates.
The project has already played a huge impact on the student body thus far. $tartSmart created a presentation named “What Is Entrepreneurship and What Is Its Importance?”, which defined entrepreneurship and made clear the value of early involvement in business and personal finance. It was shown in the AP Economics and AP U.S. History classes, reaching over 200 students. The $tartSmart team has also expanded its reach outside of school, hosting an interactive workshop at Evergreen Elementary School where 5th grade students were challenged to design a product and pitch solutions.
“Teaching over 100 elementary students was scary, however, their engagement and excitement really set this workshop in the right direction,” FBLA Vice President of Projects Maxwell Huang said. “They had to use their creativity to protect Evergreen from ‘Aliens,’ and it was exciting to see them pitching and creating their product.”
In order to extend its impact beyond in-person events, the project has built a large social media presence, making regular posts on their Instagram @dbhsae, which offers additional financial knowledge and spotlights entrepreneurs around the world. However, the team isn’t just looking to stop there.
“I envision AEP expanding in creative ways as future FBLA members take on this project with unique approaches,” Wen said. “This can include new activities, besides lectures and simulations, for FBLA members and Diamond Bar’s community or a different initiative, apart from workshops, for increasing financial literacy and entrepreneurial awareness.”