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Bold Starts Teaches Youth Money Skills in West Philly

Lincoln Financial Foundation and TGR Foundation are launching a youth financial education program at a West Philadelphia learning lab this fall.

Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Financial Planning

Bold vector editorial illustration of mustard coins beside a clear glass jar with a single green sprout, symbolizing youth money-learning growth.
Lincoln Financial Foundation and TGR Foundation are launching Bold Starts, a youth financial education program, at a West Philadelphia learning lab this fall. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Lincoln Financial Foundation is funding Bold Starts, a youth financial education program launching this fall at the Smilow Woodland TGR Learning Lab in West Philadelphia. The program will teach budgeting, saving, financial goal-setting and everyday money decisions through interactive lessons.

Why it matters

The program brings structured financial education to students in Philadelphia at a time when many young people receive little formal instruction on managing money. Its launch at a local learning center gives Philadelphia families a direct point of access.

TGR Foundation reports serving more than 240,000 students through its learning centers and educational programs. The source does not say how many of those students would take part in Bold Starts or what measurable results the curriculum is expected to produce.

The players

Lincoln Financial Foundation

The philanthropic arm of Lincoln Financial Group, which funds community financial education and wellness initiatives across the United States.

TGR Foundation

A nonprofit founded by Tiger Woods in 1996 that operates learning centers focused on education, golf and life skills for young people.

Tiger Woods

A professional golfer and founder of TGR Foundation, known for his record-setting career on the PGA Tour.

The details

Bold Starts will be offered at the Smilow Woodland TGR Learning Lab on the Cobbs Creek Golf and Education Campus, with the curriculum built on interactive lessons and practical examples. TGR Foundation will pilot a workshop for students and their families later this fall before the program expands.

Timeline

  1. Earlier this year: Lincoln Financial Center at Cobbs Creek opened.

  2. 2025: Smilow Woodland TGR Learning Lab opened as TGR Foundation's second learning center.

  3. Fall 2026: Bold Starts launches in West Philadelphia.

  4. Later this fall 2026: TGR Foundation pilots a family workshop.

  5. 2027: Bold Starts extends to TGR Foundation learning centers nationwide.

Market Landscape

Bold Starts builds on TGR Foundation's learning center model, which expanded to a second site with the Smilow Woodland lab in 2025. The program's planned 2027 rollout to learning centers nationwide would extend that model into financial education at national scale.

Families in West Philadelphia can look for the Bold Starts program at the Smilow Woodland TGR Learning Lab beginning this fall. The curriculum covers budgeting, saving and goal-setting, skills that can be practiced at home alongside the lessons.

The takeaway

Practical money habits such as budgeting, saving and setting financial goals are taught early through programs like Bold Starts, and families can build on them at home. Local learning centers may offer a starting point for households seeking structured guidance.

What happens next

TGR Foundation will pilot a family workshop later this fall, and Bold Starts is scheduled to extend to learning centers nationwide in 2027.

Further reading

For more on saving and budgeting strategies, see Financial Planning coverage.

Source note: This article includes information reported by MyChesCo.

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