Dear Members,

Individuals and organizations involved in improving the personal financial literacy of California’s youth can be more effective. Communicating financial literacy updates and opportunities and facilitating networking are two ways that the California Jump$tart Coalition helps. Please forward this email to friends and colleagues who are involved in financial literacy. Let them know they can sign up for their own personal Financial Literacy Update here.

MEET WITH OTHERS INVOLVED IN FINANCIAL LITERACY

April is financial literacy month and you are invited to attend California Jump$tart Coalition networking meetings, at no cost, in San Francisco or Los Angeles (or both). The financial literacy community -- including financial institution professionals, volunteers, educators, students, state agency professionals, corporations, non profits, and people in government -- will be there to network and share information. There will be a segment of the program for you to introduce yourself and highlight a program or initiative supporting financial education in California. Tables will also be provided at no cost for you to share your programmatic information. Take this opportunity to see what your peers are doing to improve financial literacy. We’re fortunate that both meetings are at the Federal Reserve Bank in each city, but space is limited and, due to security measures, prior registration and early arrival is required. Please register now:

Los Angeles, CA – Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Federal Reserve Bank, 950 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles
Registration – 9:30am-10:00am, Program – 10:00am-1:00pm, Networking lunch included
Register here for the Los Angeles meeting.

San Francisco, CA – Thursday, April 26, 2007
Federal Reserve Bank, 101 Market St., San Francisco
Registration – 9:30am-10:00am, Program – 10:00am-1:00pm, Networking lunch included
Register here for the San Francisco meeting.

FINANCIAL LITERACY RESOURCES

NEFE High School Financial Planning Program. The National Endowment for Financial Education is launching a new financial literacy curriculum for high school students this spring. The innovative HSFPP uses contemporary materials to teach the basics of personal finance to young people while they are developing habits and attitudes about money that will influence them for the rest of their lives. It is based on the philosophy that learning about money is as important as earning it—and that effective money management results from disciplined behavior, which is most easily mastered if learned early in life. This practical and objective program is available at no cost to all high schools throughout the country. Visit the NEFE web site to access the curriculum.

Financial Literacy Training Intensive. Another way to participate in financial literacy month: Do you teach financial literacy? Entrepreneurship? Economics or math? Leadership? Stock market games? Then you may want to join the first annual Financial Literacy Training Intensive, to be held April 25-28, 2007, in Santa Barbara, CA. Sponsored by Money Camp, BizWorld and Junior Achievement, the intensive includes four full days of advanced teaching skills, communication skills, financial literacy based information and more, taught by highly-skilled presenters. The cost is $495 per person, $395 for teachers or non-profit employees and $195 each for groups of 3 or more. Learn more here.

Attention Teachers: ING DIRECT is offering $100,000 in grants to teachers through the Planet Orange Financial Literacy Awards. Open to K-8th grade teachers, the program challenges educators to advance their students’ knowledge of personal finance and money management. To apply, teachers must complete an online application and write an essay explaining their proposal and the resources requested. Teachers can request grants between $200 and $1,000. Application deadline is April 20, 2007. Winners to be announced May 2007. Visit the web site for more information.

Enter the Adventures in Saving book-writing contest. People of all ages are invited to write a fictional children’s story that teaches a basic lesson about responsible money management. One winner per age group (6-12; 13-19; and 20+) will receive a $1,000 Orange Savings Account from ING DIRECT and get his/her book illustrated and published. Deadline to apply is June 30, 2007. Winners to be announced in August 2007. Click here for more information.

Essay Contest 2007. The California Society of CPAs/CalCPA Institute is sponsoring an essay contest to raise awareness about the benefits of financial literacy. CalCPA is offering 10 college scholarships totaling $7,000 to high school seniors who best capture the spirit and importance of good financial stewardship. Click here for contest information. If you know a school that might like to participate or would like more information, email Crystil Turner or call (650) 802-2494.

Individual Development Account (IDA) programs. Juma Ventures, with significant support from Merrill Lynch and other funders, is launching an initiative that seeks to increase the youth asset development field in California by creating capacity building partnerships with youth serving agencies in San Francisco, the East Bay and other communities throughout California. The goal of this initiative, called GROW (Get Resources Opportunity and Wealth), is to develop partnerships with youth service agencies in California to deliver Individual Development Account (IDA) programs. Click here for more information.

Financial Literacy Summit. This free, two-hour summit will be simulcast live over the Internet and available online after the event as streaming video. On May 1, 2007, from 12-2 PM Central Standard Time, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and VISA USA will bring together educators, policy makers, and members of the non-profit and private sectors to debate whether or not the federal government should require basic national financial literacy standards for K-12 students. Click here more information and to register.

Relevant financial literacy information, links and interviews. There is a lot going on and you should know about it. Sam X Renick, CAJ$ Advisory Group member, author, and CEO of the It's a Habit! Company, Inc. has volunteered to provide additional financial literacy community updates for our members from time to time. Keep an eye on your inbox for informative updates.

RECOGNIZING CONTRIBUTIONS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

AICPA’s 2006 Distinguished Service Award. Mitch Freedman, CA Jump$tart Board member and past chair, received the 2006 Distinguished Service Award from the AICPA’s Personal Financial Planning Division.

MoneyWiseTeen wins 2nd Award. The MoneyWiseTeen website, developed by the California Council on Economic Education, designed by E Factor Media and funded through a grant from HSBC - North America, is a platinum winner in the Creativity Writing category of the 2006 MarCom Creative Awards competition. The program, which helps develop the reasoning skills necessary for economic self-reliance, includes ten animated modules illustrating economic principles through stories that are understandable and relevant to teenagers.

MEMBER SURVEY

How can the California Jump$tart Coalition further help you improve the personal financial literacy of California’s youth? Please send ideas and responses to us at any time!

Jim Greenwood
Chair
CA Jump$tart Coalition
info@cajumpstart.org
http://www.cajumpstart.org