When I sat down with the teenage creators of “Money Moves” podcast last week in Columbus, I was immediately struck by how seamlessly they navigated both financial concepts and digital production tools. Armed with smartphones, basic microphones, and free editing software, these Central Ohio high school students have built something remarkable: a growing platform that’s making financial literacy accessible to their peers through technology.
“We realized most teens scroll past traditional financial advice because it’s not made for us,” explains 17-year-old lead producer Jamal Wilson. “So we created content in a format we actually consume.”
The podcast, which launched eight months ago, has garnered over 15,000 downloads across streaming platforms—impressive metrics for a project created entirely during after-school hours at Columbus West High School’s digital media lab.
What makes this initiative particularly noteworthy is how it represents a growing trend of Gen Z leveraging accessible technology to address educational gaps. According to recent research from Junior Achievement, only 16% of teens consider themselves financially literate, despite 91% believing financial education is important for their future.
The technical sophistication behind “Money Moves” illustrates how democratized technology has transformed educational content creation. Using Anchor for distribution, Canva for visual assets, and open-source Audacity for audio editing, the team produces professional-quality episodes with minimal financial investment—precisely modeling the resource efficiency they preach.
“Five years ago, creating a podcast with this production quality would have required expensive equipment and specialized training,” notes Dr. Elena Fernandez, digital media professor at Ohio State University. “Today’s technology landscape allows these students to focus on content rather than technical barriers.”
The podcast covers topics from budgeting basics to cryptocurrency, contextualized for teenage life. Recent episodes tackle saving for prom, understanding car loans, and navigating college financial aid—all produced with surprising clarity and depth.
What’s particularly striking is the data-driven approach these young creators employ. Using analytics from Spotify and Apple Podcasts, they’ve refined their content strategy based on listener engagement metrics—extending popular topics into series and adapting less successful formats.
“We noticed episodes under 20 minutes get 40% more completions,” explains team member Sophia Chen, 16. “So we restructured our content to fit attention spans while still delivering value.”
The “Money Moves” team has also built an accompanying social media ecosystem with short-form content on TikTok and Instagram, creating a digital financial literacy hub that meets their audience where they already spend time online.
Financial technology experts have taken notice. “What these students are doing represents the future of financial education,” says Marcus Blackburn of Columbus-based fintech startup CapitalWave. “They’re creating peer-to-peer knowledge transfer using platforms that feel native to their generation.”
The podcast’s impact extends beyond its listenership. Team members report improved personal financial habits, with several opening investment accounts and creating budgeting systems. “I’m actually saving 30% of my part-time job income now,” Wilson told me with visible pride.
The project has also caught the attention of local banks and credit unions. Three financial institutions now provide guest speakers and modest sponsorship, recognizing the value of connecting with future customers through authentic, youth-created content.
As educational technology continues evolving, initiatives like “Money Moves” represent something powerful: students using accessible digital tools to address real educational needs in their communities. The technical barriers to knowledge creation have fallen dramatically, enabling motivated young people to become both content creators and educators.
When I asked what’s next for the podcast, the team revealed plans to develop a companion app that would include interactive budgeting tools and savings challenges. “We’re teaching ourselves Swift programming right now,” Chen explained. “The goal is having a beta version ready by summer.”
As I watched these teenagers confidently navigate both financial concepts and digital production, one thing became clear: technology has given them not just the tools to consume information, but the power to create it. And in doing so, they’re reshaping financial education for their generation, one episode at a time.
