FinCrea, a Uruguayan project led by Michelle Katz Zador and María José Pastrana—both graduates of the Specialization Diploma in User Experience Designat the Universidad ORT Uruguay —was selected for the 2026 edition of Projects for Peace, an international program that funds student initiatives aimed at addressing social challenges and promoting peacebuilding.
The initiative, which has is supported by the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) at the National Institute of Technology ( Universidad ORT Uruguay), aims to introduce teenagers to financial literacy through fun and interactive educational experiences.
FinCrea is among the 142 projects selected by Projects for Peace 2026, representing 98 educational institutions from various countries. Each initiative will receive an estimated grant of USD 10,000 to carry out its proposal.
Learning About Money Through Play
FinCrea was founded with the goal of making financial education more accessible from an early age, particularly among adolescents aged 11 to 17.
Through workshops that combine board games, simulations, and group activities, participants explore concepts such as saving, planning, the value of money, decision-making, and financial risks.
In its early years, the initiative offered introductory workshops on basic financial concepts and activities focused on entrepreneurial challenges, in which young people had to manage resources, evaluate costs, and make decisions.
“It’s not a traditional class. The kids come to play and participate,” Katz explained in an interview published by El Observador in December 2025.
The proposal also aims to develop critical thinking skills and provide tools to help adolescents identify risks and make more informed financial decisions.
During its early stages, FinCrea received support from various companies and organizations, including Crowder, an investment platform that helped promote the project and validate its educational value.
Among its objectives is to expand its activities to schools, both through extracurricular programs and by incorporating them into the school programmes .
Financial Literacy and Peacebuilding
Projects for Peace is an international program created in 2007 by Kathryn W. Davis and administered by Middlebury College in the United States.
The initiative supports youth-led projects that propose innovative, community-based, and sustainable solutions to various social issues.
In its international application, FinCrea was presented under the title “FinCrea: Financial Education as a Pathway to Peace and Economic Well-being.”
Thus, the project views financial education as a tool for strengthening economic autonomy and helping young people develop the skills to make responsible decisions.
The initiative is also linked to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Quality Education, one of the goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015, as it promotes the acquisition of knowledge and skills for everyday life.
ORT in Projects for Peace
The University ofthe South ( Universidad ORT Uruguay ) is the only Uruguayan institution participating in Projects for Peace and has secured funding for initiatives submitted for the 2024 and 2025 cycles.
Among the previously selected projects are an educational video game that addresses the challenges of integrating migrant adolescents and an initiative to repurpose whey using microalgae.
FinCrea's 2026 selection incorporates financial education for youth into the areas of focus of the projects submitted by the university as part of this international program.
Learn more about Projects for Peace