[OPLINLIST] Celebrate National Financial Literacy Month (April) and Ohio Jump$tart

[Tominey, Ashlee]

The following message is from the Ohio Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy. Ohio libraries can contact guest speakers listed at http://www.jumpstart.org/index.php?id=1378 for programming. If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact Leslie Blackston-Favors at 614.840.0892 or contact at themoneyclubhouse.com<mailto:contact at themoneyclubhouse.com>.

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Celebrate National Financial Literacy Month - April 2013

In March 2004, the U.S. Senate officially designated April as National Financial Literacy Month. Finally, a month-long celebration would promote the importance of financial literacy and teaching Americans to develop good financial habits.

As the nation continues to show signs of a sluggish recovery from the recent recession, Ohio is still struggling.  The following facts are signs that the need for financial education in the Buckeye state has never been greater:

1.  According to Ohio Jobs and Family Services, while Ohio's unemployment rate now hovers around 6.7 percent, many families continue to dip into savings, retirement accounts, or use credit in order to pay bills and make ends meet.

2. With the passage of Senate Bill 311, personal finance education became mandatory for all Ohio high school students beginning in 2010. However, Ohio high school students received an average score just below 67.57% on the 2012 National Capability Challenge, an annual exam designed to gauge students' knowledge of personal finance concepts. Students scored an average of 70.71 percent on the exam in 2010.

3. Student loan default rates at Ohio private-for-profit schools continued to soar through 2012; with some default rates exceeding 40 percent.

National Financial Literacy Month shouldn't end with April. Sharing financial education books, blogs, videos, and other resources with library members of all ages throughout the year is a great way to educate, raise awareness, and change lives. With your help, every month can be National Financial Literacy Month. That's something all Ohioans can celebrate.

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Ohio Jump$tart is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization that brings together like-minded organizations to work collectively and collaboratively to advance financial literacy among kindergarten through college-aged students.  Ohio Jump$tart partners are individuals and organizations who recognize and support the lifetime benefits of personal financial education: teachers, parents, corporations, CPA's, banks, credit unions, school administrators, school districts and boards of education.

The Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy is dedicated to improving the financial literacy of our nation's pre-kindergarten through college-age youth.  Volunteers in 49 states support the Jump$tart mission by providing advocacy, research, standards and educational resources. For information and a clearinghouse of educational resource materials visit http://www.jumpstart.org.

Leslie Blackston-Favors
Ohio Jump$tart Coalition
7748 Chancel Drive
Columbus, OH 43235
Ph: (614) 840-0892
www.ohjumpstart.org<http://www.ohjumpstart.org>
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