October 06, 2011

Charles Schwab Foundation and Boys & Girls Clubs of America Announce Annual Innovation Award Winners for Creative Delivery of Financial Education
Teens Nationwide Learn Essential Lessons about Personal Finance through Innovative Implementation of the Money Matters: Make It Count(SM)Program

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 06, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- In an effort to recognize Boys & Girls Clubs across the nation that have gone above and beyond in teaching youth the basics of personal finance, Charles Schwab Foundation has announced the 2011 winners of the Innovation Awards. In their third year, the annual awards recognize Clubs that exemplify unique and enterprising techniques for delivering the Money Matters: Make It Count curriculum, a Charles Schwab Foundation and Boys & Girls Clubs of America teen financial education program. One Boys & Girls Club was selected from each of the country's five geographic regions for its demonstrated commitment to making personal finance education compelling and meaningful to today's youth. The following winners will each receive a $3,000 grant from Charles Schwab Foundation.

-- Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta (Georgia),

-- Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington (Washington),

-- Boys & Girls Club of Cheyenne (Wyoming),

-- Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), and

-- Boys & Girls Club of Dane County (Wisconsin).

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September 02, 2011

Claudia Buck - Sacramento Bee August 21, 2011

As summer winds down and another school year revs up, maybe you're looking for some new ways to entertain – and enlighten – your kids and teens.

How about some fun money lessons? Given Wall Street's zany zigzagging and the relentless drumbeat of stories about debt and more debt, we've all been a little preoccupied with the ups and downs of finances lately.

"It is not a topic that many parents like to talk about ... Some think money is only an adult topic. Or the schools should teach it. But that just doesn't happen," said Karyn Hodgens, a Rocklin-based kids-and-money instructor and co-founder of KidNexions, a financial education company.

Teaching kids to manage money "is like teaching your kid to ride a bike," said the former elementary school math teacher. "It takes practice. It takes making mistakes."

In recent weeks, a number of entrepreneurs, nonprofits and financial companies have launched some new money-management tools for kids, from tots to teens.

Here's a look at some:

Read more: 

August 14, 2011

By Casey McDermott, USA TODAY

Starting this fall, Virginia high school students will need more than reading, writing and arithmetic to snag a diploma.

Incoming high school freshmen will be required to take a one-credit course outlining the ABCs of economics and personal finance.

Virginia joins a handful of states, including Missouri, Utah and Tennessee, that mandate a class in financial education. Similar legislation aimed at improving students' financial literacy has been introduced in Maryland, while several states require teachers to weave personal finance lessons into existing coursework.

Combined with grassroots efforts by non-profits and financial institutions, it's all part of a nationwide push to keep Generation Y from making money mistakes that could haunt them long after they graduate from college.

For younger children, the "Money Matters: Make it Count" partnership between the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Charles Schwab Foundation has brought financial literacy lessons to more than 245,000 students since it made its debut in 2004.

FULL ARTICLE AT http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/basics/2011-08-12-personal-finance-courses_n.htm