By Dawn Burleigh

The Orange Leader

 

An organization known for encouraging students in financial, investing and STEM studies is taking on a STEM game development.

Young Financial Wizards, Inc. (YWF) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) Financial and Investing organization for 7th thru 9th grade students.

The organization took several years to bring together according to founder Ivory Roberts, originally of Orange and now residing in Houston.

Roberts noticed, while working in finances, there was a trend in how clients traded currencies.

The organization is already making history as Roberts is the first to take a group two years in a row on a tour of the Wall Street Stock Exchange without being a CEO for a fortune 500 company.

“We have 12 students preparing to Develop, Design, Build, and Code a Financial Literacy STEM Game,” Roberts said in a Facebook post. “This STEM Game will be based on taking a Rock Band from the neighborhood to the top of the charts and managing a NFL Franchise.”

Roberts added 12 students will be involved in the project, six from Orange and six from Houston.

“When they finish, the game will be complete,” Roberts said. “When this Game is finished it will be available for all the middle schools in the United States and abroad.”

Roberts is an entrepreneur known for founding YFW Incorporated in 2006 and has become one of the top Youth Organization’s in Texas that specializes in K-12 Students focusing on Finance, Investing and STEM.

His organization has made history at the New York Stock Exchange with Private Trading Floor tours for his student in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Ivory is also a graduate of West Orange Stark High School and a college graduate from the Texas A&M University System.

Teaming up with Aha-Learning Institute, YFW is working on a project of the students coding a digital financial game.

Aha-Learning Institute, co-founded by Geoffrey Lewis, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

Its mission is to promote and deliver good quality information and education to children and young adults.

Lewis is a senior executive with over 25+ years of experience in corporate management, marketing, communication, training and education services. He is an entrepreneur with proven expertise in launching start-up companies, developing new business initiatives, and providing management services to both profit and non-profit operations.

As part of the game design and development, students will be able to collaborate with the game designers, digital artists, and coding developers to support the project. A small number of students will have a hand in the design, planning and production of the game. Other students will be able to assist in the game design remotely.

The students will be involved in the entire Design and Development process which entails them making a trip back to Washington DC in June and July 2018 to get started on the first phase of this project.

The organization has started a Go Fund Me account to help raise the $75,000 needed for the initial phase of the project, which includes the Game Development and Travel for the students.

“When this project is completed we will have a group of new Game Developers,” Roberts said.

To donate to this project visit https://www.gofundme.com/stemgame