[OPLINLIST] National Financial Literacy Month and Ohio Jump$tart

[Ashlee Clark]

The following message is from the Ohio Jump$tart Coalition for Personal
Financial Literacy.  Ohio Jump$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.  

 

Jump$tart Ohio's 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.

________________________________

Celebrate National Financial Literacy Month!

 

Did you know that April is National Financial Literacy Month? That's
right, there's a whole month dedicated to promoting the importance of
financial literacy and teaching Americans the basics of financial
education. 

 

In 2000, the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, a
national coalition of financial education advocates, began promoting
April as Financial Literacy for Youth Month. In March 2004, the U.S.
Senate passed Resolution 316 which officially designated April as
National Financial Literacy Month.

 

The recent recession may be behind us, but Ohioans have had few reasons
to celebrate. Here are some facts: 

 

1.  Ohio high school students received an average score of 70.71% on the
2010 National Capability Challenge, an exam designed to increase
students' knowledge of personal finance concepts. 

 

2.  In 2010, the Ohio Attorney General reported an increase in the
number of consumer complaints and scams involving credit reporting, home
improvement, sweepstakes and financial services.

 

3.  Ohio's unemployment rate was 9.2 percent in February 2011 according
to the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services. An alarming trend in
which families are dipping into retirement savings in order to pay bills
and make ends meet continues.

 

4.  Student loan default rates at Ohio private-for-profit schools ranged
from 10.1% to 20.3 % in 2008 according to Findthebest.com
<http://www.findthebest.com/>  which monitors student debt.

 

Personal finance education must begin at an early age and continue for a
lifetime. Sharing financial education books, articles and videos with
your library members is a great way to change lives and raise awareness
of National Financial Literacy Month. That's something we can all
celebrate.

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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 more information on the Jump$tart Coalition
for Personal Financial Literacy and the Ohio Jump$tart Coalition visit
http://www.jumpstart.org <http://www.jumpstart.org/>  and
http://www.ohjumpstart.org <http://www.ohjumpstart.org/> .

________________________________

The guest speakers listed at http://www.jumpstart.org/index.php?id=1378
are also available for Ohio libraries to contact for programming.
Please note that this list is in the process of being updated.

 

If you have any questions or would like additional information, please
contact Leslie Blackston-Favors at 614.840.0892 or
contact at themoneyclubhouse.com. 

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