Patriot's receiver, Wes Welker with RI General Treasurer, Frank T. Caprio and Portsmouth High School students in the New England Patriot's locker room at the regional roll-out of "Financial Football"

Contact: Jim Hedemark
401.385.9411 | email

General Treasurer Caprio, RI Jump$tart Coalition Help Teens Tackle Financial Futures through Visa’s “Financial Football” Game Launched at Gillette Stadium with Patriots Players

Six New England Treasurers Team Up to Promote Youth Financial Education

December 11, 2007 (Foxborough, MA)  - Tackling the problem of financial illiteracy among Rhode Island teens head-on, General Treasurer Frank T. Caprio joined his fellow New England state treasurers, and Jump$tart Coalition and Visa directors to announce the region-wide rollout of an effort to improve the money management skills of New England high school students.  The treasurers distributed free copies of “Financial Football” – an interactive, NFL-themed, money management video game – to every high school in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine and Vermont.

Wide Receiver Wes Welker and Center Dan Koppen of the New England Patriots joined the event today.Welker spoke to the Portsmouth High School team representing Rhode Island in the Patriot’s locker room before they played “Financial Football” with a team of students from Massachusetts.

"Helping students build strong financial muscles at an early age will give them a real advantage when it comes to planning for their financial futures," Welker said.  He continued, "Managing money and finances is a vital life skill, and one that is best taught, and learned, before high school graduation."

"I'm glad for the opportunity to teach New England students the importance of developing sound money-management skills early in life," Koppen added. "It doesn't matter whether you make $1 or $1 million, if you don't learn to budget, save, invest and pay your bills on time, the personal and national economic consequences can be devastating."

Jim Hedemark, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Jump$tart Coalition comments, “We are grateful that these Patriots players have made time for our youth concerning personal financial education, especially in light of their stellar season.  So many young people look up to these players.  They should be applauded for such positive leadership off the field.  Visa also deserves much praise for taking a leadership role in youth financial education.Parents and educators sometimes struggle to make financial topics fun and interesting for youth.  Visa’s ‘Financial Football’ does just that.”

All students and families in Rhode Island are invited to play “Financial Football” online by clicking here.

Demonstrating broad-based support for having financial education begin at home and extend to the classroom, a new study released by Visa USA shows 91% of consumers surveyed believe all high school students should take a financial education class before graduating.

The Rhode Island Jump$tart Coalition is leading the team of stakeholders who are working for increased personal financial education in Rhode Island schools by offering educator training opportunities, delivering free curricula and materials, and promoting student based activities such as “Financial Football.”