Whitney Ramirez Honored Nationally for Innovative Financial Literacy Program: Financial Field Trips

MARYLAND, USA. — Whitney Ramirez, CEO of Diapers 2 Deposits, Inc., president of D2D non-profit arm Financial Field Trips Corporation, and an Accredited Financial Counselor® (AFC®), has been named a recipient of the AFCPE Outstanding Education Program of the Year Award, recognizing her leadership in developing one of the region’s most innovative experiential financial literacy initiatives for youth.

Ramirez is the design thinker behind Financial Field Trips, a program that takes students out of the classroom and into real-world financial environments—such as banks, car dealerships, and financial institutions—to help them understand money through direct experience rather than theory alone.

A Financial Literacy Program Born From a Single Decision

Financial Field Trips began not as a funded initiative, but as a personal risk.

According to Ramirez, the idea emerged during an ordinary commute. Sitting in traffic, she reflected on how disconnected financial education often is from students’ lived experiences. Determined to change that, she made an unconventional move: she liquidated a portion of her retirement savings and purchased a 12-passenger mini-bus, despite on having rapid rail transportation experience or large-scale field programming. That decision changed everything,” Ramirez said. “It allowed us to bring learning directly to the places where financial decisions actually happen.”

New Financial Literacy Program First Pilot with Montgomery County Public Schools

The program’s first pilot launched in partnership with Montgomery County Public Schools through Excel Beyond the Bell, a county-supported enrichment initiative. Additional operational support came from Montgomery County Recreation (MCR), which handled transportation logistics, including vehicle and driver arrangements, student permission processes, and related procedures.

Ramirez and the Diapers 2 Deposits team were responsible for delivering the financial literacy curriculum, preparing students on safety and professional etiquette, and coordinating site-based learning experiences.

The collaborative structure allowed the pilot to operate efficiently while maintaining high educational and safety standards.

Bringing Financial Concepts to Life

One of the first Financial Field Trips brought students to a local car dealership—an experience intentionally designed to demystify large financial purchases.

Ramirez personally contacted the dealership to coordinate the visit. Upon arrival, students were greeted by a car salesman who walked them through pricing, financing basics, and ownership considerations. Students were encouraged to ask questions, sit in vehicles, and discuss their future goals.

For many participants, it was their first exposure to how financial decisions connect to everyday life.

“The goal was not sales,” Ramirez explained. “It was exposure—helping students visualize themselves as future consumers, earners, and decision-makers.”

National Recognition for Local Impact

Financial Field Trips earned national recognition from the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education (AFCPE), which awarded the program the Outstanding Education Program of the Year. The honor recognizes programs that demonstrate innovation, effectiveness, and measurable impact in financial education.

Outstanding Education Program of the Year

Expanding Access to Experiential Financial Education

Today, Financial Field Trips Corporation and the FinancialField Trips program are regarded as a scalable model for experiential learning in financial education, rooted in Maryland but increasingly relevant nationwide. The program emphasizes career exploration, financial decision-making, and early exposure to economic systems that students will encounter as adults.

Ramirez continues to advocate for approaches that move beyond worksheets and lectures, arguing that students learn best when they can see, touch, and question the systems that shape their financial futures.

“Financial literacy should not be abstract,” she said. “When students can see themselves in these spaces, their confidence and understanding change.”

About Whitney Ramirez

Whitney Ramirez is an Accredited Financial Counselor®, nonprofit executive, and financial education leader based in Maryland. She serves as CEO of Diapers 2 Deposits, Inc. and is the creator of Financial Field Trips, an award-winning experiential financial literacy program.