Effects of an E-Mentoring Program to Improve Youth Financial Empowerment

Abstract

This study aimed to develop an e-mentoring youth financial education program and verify its effectiveness for promoting financial empowerment and establishing financial capabilities among independent consumers. A four-session, eight-hour “Youth Financial Empowerment Mentoring Program” was developed. This program dealt with financial literacy and financial psychology factors in an integrated fashion. We used the nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design to evaluate the program’s effectiveness. Specifically, by using Zoom, a virtual conference platform, four mentors of college students were trained for four sessions over two weeks. Meanwhile, four groups were formed with four mentors and 18 high school mentees to implement a four-week e-mentoring program. As a result of the analysis of covariance, significant differences were found between the two groups in all financial psychology factors and financial literacy variables. In addition, the score of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group. As a result of qualitative evaluation through FGI for mentees and mentors, mentees experienced positive changes in financial behavior, beliefs, attitudes, and personal relationships, as well as increased financial knowledge. Meanwhile, mentors experienced positive changes in their introspection into financial behavior and consumption. Considering these results, we can conclude that this program effectively induces participants to learn and reflect on their initiative, which is in line with the original goal of “improving financial empowerment”.