Marketplace’s Million Bazillion Live! School Tour presented by Greenlight

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Marketplace’s Million Bazillion Live!: Who wants to be a Bazillionaire? presented by Greenlight
THE CHALLENGE
Amid a national discussion around the necessity of a financial literacy curriculum for American K-12 students, American Public Media's Marketplace and the fin-tech company Greenlight, both deeply committed to empowering young adults to build financially smart futures, partnered to develop one of the first financial literacy school tours in the U.S. – "Million Bazillion Live!: Who Wants to Be a Bazillionaire? " As a public media organization, our mission was to use the tour to build a firm foundation of practical money matters by serving community needs outside of the podcast listening audience, a commitment that we have upheld with unwavering dedication.
THE IDEA
Spinning out of the Webby award-winning kids and family podcast about money, Million Bazillion, the live show was designed to deliver a memorable free performance to schools that encouraged curiosity while inviting students and faculty to learn how money and the economy work.​ Spanning 20 select cities across the southern, eastern, western, and central United States, this program visited 63 middle schools (kids 10-13 years old) to interact with students and bring the podcast to life through larger-than-life demonstrations, interactive games, and an engaging cast of characters.​ What's truly impressive is that the live show was intentionally created to be adaptive, visiting schools in communities with resources ranging from under-resourced to ample resources, ensuring inclusivity and maximum impact.
THE EXECUTION
The tour delivered over 125 free-to-school shows across this 20-week experiential endeavor. Although the live show remained the tour's centerpiece, a secondary goal was to empower educators and families to put their Million Bazillion Live! learning into practice with resources from both the Million Bazillion podcast and Greenlight. These resources included a dedicated website (MILLIONBAZIILIONLIVE.COM), printed and digital curriculum resources for educators in classrooms across their district, and printed leave-behind family collateral to promote real-life money conversations at home.​ We also hosted 11 Family Game Nights at select schools to give families additional fun ways to spark conversations about money, chances to win fun, valuable prizes, and exposure to relevant financial literacy products from our partner, Greenlight.
THE IMPACT
The Million Bazillion Live! tour garnered over 36 million impressions, including 45+ press pickups in local and international markets and 30+ online stories featuring photos and videos from school social accounts to share the event with families all throughout their school communities. This exposure highlighted the importance and impact of partnering with mission-aligned media companies and brands.