July | UTSU Student Commons

The Money Club is a four-week, hands-on summer program for ages 11–16 where students learn by building, testing, and presenting real ideas.

Located at UTSU Student Commons in downtown Toronto, the program combines financial literacy, design thinking, entrepreneurship, and public speaking in a supervised, classroom-based environment. Students research problems, develop product or service concepts, test their thinking, and build toward a final Maker Market where families are invited to see what they created.

What makes The Money Club different is its nonprofit, open-book model. The program is designed not just as a camp, but as a transparent learning platform where students can see how money, incentives, and systems actually work.

Students learn how to:

• present their thinking clearly and confidently
• understand costs, pricing, margins, and tradeoffs
• design products or services people might actually want
• test ideas through simple prototypes and iteration
• research needs through observation, empathy, and feedback
• identify real problems people have

How the 4 Weeks Work

Week 1 — Learn the System
Students build a foundation in money, pricing, costs, margins, and market research so they can make stronger decisions in the weeks ahead.

Week 2 — Develop a Concept
Students explore a product or service category, identify user needs, and shape an idea through positioning, pricing, and design.

Week 3 — Prototype and Test
Students build and refine their ideas, gather feedback, and improve their concepts through iteration.

Week 4 — Maker Market + Final Showcase
Students present their work at the Maker Market, where families can see what they built, hear their pitch, and understand their thinking from idea to outcome.

A Typical Day

• Refinement: revise the work and move the idea forward
• Presentations: students explain what they are making and how their thinking is evolving
• Team Build Time: project work with instructor and mentor feedback
• Lunch
• Studio Time: research, prototyping, pricing, branding, and problem-solving
• Instructor Session: one new concept, framework, or example
• Morning Standup: goals, quick wins, and what needs help