‘Power Book II’ actor Michael Rainey Jr. leads the $2.4 million financial literacy program, Essence

could also be over, but Michael Rainey Jr. proves that his star power extends beyond Hollywood.

Rainey is deeply attached to his Staten Island roots donated $600,000 to start out a financial education initiative which goals to equip local highschool students with the knowledge and tools to construct financial security and generational wealth. His generosity is the foundation of a program that can provide young people on Staten Island with life-changing financial education.

The $2.4 million initiative is a collaborative effort between Rainey and the Restoring America Foundation Recovery Education Foundation (RARE).and Equifax. While Rainey’s $600,000 contribution provides the funds obligatory to run and sustain the program, the remaining value comes from in-kind contributions. Equifax provides students and their families with credit monitoring, identity theft protection and academic tools, while RARE provides financial literacy materials and infrastructure to deliver the program at three Staten Island high schools.

The initiative was launched at Port Richmond High School, where Rainey met with students to share his own journey toward financial independence. “If I were these children who come from this exact class, the first thing I would do is go home and ask their parents what awaits them. “Credit score is,” Rainey Jr. says. “And then, over time, you become an authorized user of that card and start building your own score.”

The program will provide as many as 250,000 students with access to comprehensive financial knowledge resources. This features a one-year subscription to Equifax Complete Premier for credit monitoring and identity theft protection, access to e-books like and (written by 7-year-old financial literacy advocate Preston “Kid Kredit” Luzunaris), and a 12-course digital skills curriculum in the field of finance. Students also can access free one-on-one loan counseling to higher understand the basics of financial management.

For Rainey, this initiative is deeply personal. He grew up on Staten Island and knows the barriers many young people face after they do not have a financial education.

According to the organization’s website, the RARE Foundation strives to offer disadvantaged communities with “essential financial recovery education and training.” The program also reaches out to students’ families, offering parents and guardians resources on financial literacy and identity protection. This community-wide approach goals to create lasting change by making financial literacy a family priority.

This is not Rainey’s first act of giving back to his hometown. He recently joined the Staten Island Turkey Drive, which distributes holiday meals to families in need. Through efforts like these, Rainey cements her legacy as a job model for using success as a platform for meaningful change.

By donating $600,000 to this initiative, Michael Rainey Jr. does greater than just give back – it empowers a generation to take control of their financial future. Staten Island students learn skills that can shape their lives, their families and their communities for years to return.

For Rainey, that is where true wealth lies: sharing the tools for fulfillment and constructing a legacy of opportunity.