YMCA and Old National Bank Foundation Partner to Launch Life Hub ‘Learn to Earn’ Program for Teens

Chicago youth get paid real money to master state-aligned education, including financial, digital, and career skills.

CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, December 10, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago and the Old National Bank Foundation today announced the launch of the Life Hub Teen Program, a “learn to earn” initiative developed with technology partner Electus Global Education Co. The program allows Chicago teens to build essential financial, entrepreneurship, digital and career skills through state standards–aligned learning while earning real money for their progress.

The launch comes as Illinois considers legislation that would require all high school students to complete a stand-alone, one-semester personal finance course starting with students who enter 9th grade in 2028-2029.

According to the OECD’s latest PISA results, nearly one in five 15-year-olds struggle to apply financial skills in real-world situations, with traditional classroom instruction often falling short. Randomized trials show the most effective programs are active, contextual, and tied to real transactions.
Life Hub has been developed to directly meet that challenge by connecting effort to reward and hands-on money management. Teens complete short, standards-aligned “Edu-Jobs” across financial literacy, AI and digital pathways, career readiness, entrepreneurship, social skills, and core academics including STEM. As they progress, they earn real money that accrues during the month and is paid onto a Life Hub Visa^® Rewards Card on scheduled paydays.

Incentive-based personal finance learning is gaining traction nationally as more states adopt stand-alone high school finance requirements. But using public funds to pay for direct cash rewards is often disallowed. Notably, since 2024 Illinois’s School Code has allowed dedicated state financial literacy funds to reward student achievement tied to learning outcomes.

“The YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago is thrilled to partner with the Old National Bank Foundation to bring Electus’ Life Hub program to our teen initiatives at the Y,” said Tara Brown, YMCA of Metro Chicago Executive Director of Teen Programming. “This partnership is not just about a new tool - it's a powerful step forward in how we support and invest in the future of our youth. Watching Y teens take charge of their learning, earn real rewards, and build life skills in the process will be incredibly inspiring. This is exactly the kind of innovation that helps shape confident, capable leaders for tomorrow.”

The partnership will also co-develop bespoke Chicago-focused content on financial literacy and career pathways - aligned to local demand, along with housing themed education including mortgage literacy, making certain teens gain skills that are both nationally relevant and locally impactful. Following successful pilots, Electus has recently completed development of its new AI-native, upgraded app that now includes Fini, a personal AI coach that adapts to each learner’s language, interests, and needs—recommending content and supporting learners with budgeting and managing their earnings.

"We know from our partner organizations that the first payday flips a switch—young people see their time has value and their contributions matter, and money management and confidence stop being abstract lessons and become good habits." said Anna Grace Du Noyer, Chief AI, Impact and Ethics Officer at Electus. “This is why we’re proud to partner with forward-thinking institutions like the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago and the Old National Bank Foundation to bring innovative and game-changing education to Chicago teens.”

In early pilots, Life Hub has engaged over 2500 youth who completed more than 100,000 modules, collectively earning nearly $113,000. Early outcomes included a shift toward needs-first spending, higher saving rates, and municipal pilots showing a social return on investment (SROI) as high as 177:1.
Backed by the Old National Bank Foundation, the YMCA rollout is part of Old National’s broader commitment to community prosperity: an expanded $11.1B Community Growth Plan, $12.6M in 2024 giving to 2,500+ organizations, and $3.68M in Foundation grants to 229 nonprofits.

“The Old National Bank Foundation is proud to support the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago’s integration of Electus’ Life Hub technology, empowering and rewarding teens with financial education and career readiness tools,” said Joe Kiser, President of the Old National Bank Foundation. “This initiative reflects our commitment to financial empowerment, and our hope for an even brighter future for our next generation.”

In Chicago, the Foundation’s investment also supports financial coaching, career pathways, and housing literacy that help families build stability and wealth. With the inclusion of the new Life Hub program, the partnership will report on outcomes such as Financial Empowerment, Workforce Development, Economic Development, and Affordable Housing to document and evaluate neighborhood-level impact.

Anna Grace Du Noyer
Electus Global Education Co, Inc.
annagrace.dunoyer@electuseducation.com
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