Penny Talk: A magical money workshop for kids

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In this hour-long workshop, kids experience the magic of interacting with digital character, “DJ Bee,” who is performed by a Café Associate from a hidden room. Kids can chat, dance, and laugh with DJ Bee in real time, while learning some financial concepts along the way.

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Part 1: Interactive Show with DJ Bee
Kids attend a story-based show where they can talk to DJ Bee, ask questions, and be silly while learning about basic money concepts.

Part 2: Craft Activity
A fun craft activity extends engagement beyond the initial interaction and helps to reinforce topics of conversation.

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The origins of this project were unusual in that it began with an exploration of technology. We had a few research constraints because 1) our tech was being refined in a parallel workstream and 2) it would be difficult to gain quick access to our primary users (kids). Because of this, I designed a research plan that included a mixture of observational + first hand experience with kids in a classroom setting; generative activities with Associates; and secondary research on children’s financial literacy.

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I designed a “story map” activity that allowed Associates to talk through prompts using a variety of imagery:
- If you were the director of Penny Talk Episode 1, what would you imagine the show being about?
- How would it feel? What would the kids be learning?
- What would they take away from it?

After synthesizing the outputs of this activity, some themes emerged that we used to create initial storyboards for the workshop episodes.

The dynamic between Puppeteer & Facilitator was critical to get right if we wanted to create a seamlessly magical experience for our audience. We worked closely with them to co-create much of the scripts, test WIP UI for the Puppeteer, and develop clear and concise training materials.

The outputs used for our 3-month pilot test aimed to answer these questions:

1. In what ways can we get kids to engage on financial topics in a café space?
2. Is the experience captivating and relevant?
3. Is the experience scalable to other Capital One Cafés?

What we learned:

• From toddlers to teenagers, the workshop succeeded in keeping kids engaged throughout the hour

• The story-based structure was a great way to spark conversations about money in a fun, indirect way

• While the content was scalable to other Cafés, the custom craft activities were not, due to working with a local vendor

As for adults who attended, we were pleasantly surprised at how much they also enjoyed talking to DJ Bee. And while no financial products were mentioned during Penny Talk, we saw parents opening kids savings accounts and asking about other activities for kids in the Café.

Although participating in the pilot meant taking on extra work, the Café Associates were thrilled to be a part of these workshops. Here’s what we learned from them:

• While dedicated training + prep time would have been great, Associates often didn’t have the time—they needed a way to help them get up to speed, fast

• The dynamic between Puppeteer & Facilitator sets the tone for the whole show. It was important to allow room for this relationship to shine

• A flexible script helped Associates feel empowered—they were hungry for more creative ways to connect with customers

While the workshop was a total hit with Associates, and well received by audiences, the technology platform that powered this magical experience was ultimately too difficult to scale. The technical setup required a lot of custom builds that resulted in an experience that would be challenging and expensive to replicate across other Capital One Cafés.

Although the team made the decision to end the Penny Talk series with the 3-month pilot, the project highlighted a need to introduce more programming for kids and families, and a desire for Associates to be more creative in the way they engage with Café visitors.