“More than ever, it's important that kids develop sound financial skills to prepare them for the real world, and Arizona Central realizes that and they're doing something about it,” said Morgan Vandagriff, co-founder of Banzai.

The program uses real-life scenarios to enable students to learn how to pay bills, balance a budget and manage unexpected expenses such as parking tickets, interest charges and overdraft fees, the company said.

Banzai also introduces students to auto loans, savings accounts, account statements and other banking concepts, the company said.

“Too often students get out of school and they just aren't ready for the financial roller coasters life can give us,” Vandagriff said. “Banzai teaches students to navigate those twists and turns and come out on top.”