United States Treasurer Visits Ocean State To Highlight Financial Literacy Month Efforts

April 27th, 2007 – The RI Jump$tart Coalition is pleased to welcome United States Treasurer, Anna Escobedo Cabral to the Ocean State to highlight “Financial Literacy Month” in Rhode Island as proclaimed by Governor Carcieri, the Rhode Island Senate and House of Representatives.

U.S. Treasurer’s Visit Itinerary:

This Friday, the United States Treasurer will begin her visit with a breakfast roundtable discussion (7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.) at the State House with a group of twenty Rhode Island Hispanic Leaders, including Dr. Pablo Rodriguez, who will engage in dialogue about strategies to increase personal financial literacy in the Hispanic community (press by special invitation only).

From 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. the United States Treasurer will teach a lesson to fifty sixth graders at Kizirian Elementary school, located at 60 Camden Avenue, Providence (Principal, Deborah Ruggieri has approved this event for press).

At noon, the United States Treasurer will deliver the keynote address on national efforts to increase personal financial literacy at the RI Jump$tart Coalition’s annual Financial Literacy Leaders’ Luncheon to take place at Roger Williams Park Casino (press are welcome).

Jim Hedemark, Executive Director of the RI Jump$tart Coalition states, “We are very pleased with the progress that we’ve made towards increased youth financial literacy education during the month of April, 2007.  We believe that United States Treasurer’s visit will not only draw further attention to Financial Literacy Month activities, but will also provide us with positive momentum that will carry us forward throughout the year.”

“Financial Literacy Month” Legislative Activity

“Financial Literacy Month” in Rhode Island began with Governor Carcieri’s proclamation and corresponding proclamations in the Senate (prime sponsor, Senator Daniel Issa), and the House of Representatives (prime sponsor, Rep. Steven Costantino).

In the Legislature, a joint resolution creating a special legislative commission to study youth financial education has passed the Senate (prime sponsor, Senator Daniel Issa) and has been introduced in the House of Representatives, Rep. Raymond Church).  The purpose of this commission will be to study the status and future of youth personal financial education in Rhode Island’s middle and high schools.

To see legislative releases, please refer to:

Senator Issa and Representative Church

“Financial Literacy Month” Youth Programs

The RI Jump$tart Coalition, through the support of Rhode Island sponsors was pleased to send a team of five teenagers called the to the national LifeSmarts competition that took place from April 21-24 in Orlando, Fl.  LifeSmarts is a fast-paced quiz-show format activity for teens that focuses on consumer knowledge with on of the main categories being financial literacy.  The 2007 Rhode Island state LifeSmarts champion team is from Barrington High School and call themselves the “Eagle Einsteins.”Their coach is Ms. Karen Proule, a business teacher at Barrington High School.More on the Rhode Island LifeSmarts program can be found here.

The RI Jump$tart Coalition began recruiting high school teams in April to participate in the pilot Rhode Island Financial High School (RI-FI High) program that will involve teams of two high school students from fifteen Rhode Island high schools who will receive high-impact personal financial training, then conduct peer-awareness campaigns at their high schools in May, 2007, multiplying teenagers impacted hundreds of times.  U.S. Senator Jack Reed was instrumental in supporting a grant through the U.S. Department of Education that has made this program possible.  General Treasurer Frank T. Caprio, a longstanding RI Jump$tart Coalition partner is helping to promote this activity.  For more click here.