THE PIGGYBANKS PROGRAM
Big Ideas Start Small.
Where young minds discover the power of entrepreneurship through creativity, collaboration, and a hands-on, gamified experience.
The Piggybanks Program is a free summer camp inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs and financially confident thinkers in the Toledo, Ohio area.
Small camp. Big possibilities.
70+
Young Minds Inspired
3
Summers of Learning
7
Student Ventures Continued
4
Team Leaders
Through experiential learning and hands-on entrepreneurship education, we're fostering the next generation of CEOs!
A LITTLE CURIOSITY GOES A LONG WAY
Who says learning business has to be boring?
At The Piggybanks Program, we believe that entrepreneurship education should be accessible, exciting, and empowering.
Traditional business concepts can feel distant from a child’s everyday world. So we bring them to life through games, creative challenges, and real-world experiences. Our mission is simple: give K–8 students the tools and confidence to think creatively, understand money, work together, and turn their imagination into something real.
Creativity
Every great business begins with a question: What if?
Collaboration
Big ideas become even bigger when we build them together.
Resilience
Every failed prototype is another step toward a breakthrough.
LESS LECTURE. MORE LET’S TRY IT.
Learning by doing.
Real challenges. Original ideas. The kind of learning that stays with you long after summer.
Mini Shark Tank
Campers become entrepreneurs, transforming original ideas into business pitches and presenting them to an audience. Along the way, they learn product development, communication, and persuasive presentation skills.
Gamified Learning
Financial literacy becomes a real-world adventure as campers make decisions, manage resources, and discover the value of thoughtful money management.
Teamwork Challenges
Through creative challenges, including our Blind-Deaf-Mute teamwork activity, campers discover the importance of communication, trust, adaptability, and collaboration.
Business Symposium
At the end of camp, young entrepreneurs celebrate their hard work by presenting their business ideas, sharing their learning, and bringing their visions to life.
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
Financial literacy, one adventure at a time.
Adventures in the Village of Phaystin
Learning about money shouldn’t end when camp does. To extend the lessons of The Piggybanks Program, our founder authored and self-published Adventures in the Village of Phaystin, an original children’s novel introducing personal finance concepts through storytelling. Copies were distributed to campers, bringing financial education into the imaginative world of children’s literature.
BUILT BY STUDENTS, FOR STUDENTS
Meet the Team
The Piggybanks Program began with one question: Why shouldn’t young students have the opportunity to explore entrepreneurship? Founded by Alex Ban, high school student from Perrysburg, Ohio passionate about business and education, the program grew into a three-year initiative serving more than 70 local youth.
Working with a four-person team, the founder designed interactive learning experiences, coordinated camp operations, invited industry professionals to share their perspectives, and helped students discover the excitement of entrepreneurship. What started as an effort to teach business became an opportunity to learn from the next generation of innovators.
2026 Program Team & Camp Leaders
Alex Ban ⋅ Founder & Program Head | Elaine Tan ⋅ Camp Leader Heidi Yan ⋅ Camp Leader | Advika Vijay ⋅ Camp Leader
THE FUTURE STARTS WITH AN IDEA
Every big dream begins somewhere.
At The Piggybanks Program, we’re helping young minds discover their passion for entrepreneurship, finding solutions to make the world a better place.