SEC, Jump$tart Coalition Spread Financial Literacy to Local Students

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2007-74

Washington, D.C., April 25, 2007 - SEC Commissioner Paul S. Atkins today led a financial literacy presentation to students at Luke C. Moore Academy Senior High School as part of a collaborative effort by the Securities and Exchange Commission and other federal agencies to teach financial basics in D.C. Public Schools during Financial Literacy Month.

Atkins was joined by other government, banking, finance, and legal professionals involved with the Greater Washington Jump$tart Coalition. The presentation was geared toward teaching personal finance concepts to high school juniors and seniors, and included specific guidance and instruction about budgeting, credit, and identity theft. The Coalition hosted simultaneous financial literacy events at 17 D.C. Public Schools today, reaching more than 2,000 students.

"Teaching the fundamental building blocks of savings and investment will serve these young people well in the future," said Commissioner Atkins. Programs like Jump$tart, Atkins told the students, will "help ensure that as you grow up, graduate, and get a job, you will be able to make good personal savings, budgeting, and investment choices."

Today marked the coalition's inaugural event, with its primary goal to provide all high school juniors and seniors with a financial education course before leaving school.

The Greater Washington Jump$tart Coalition is comprised of more than 50 individuals and organizations representing business, non-profit, education, and government entities. Its mission is to coordinate and streamline the process of improving the personal financial literacy of schoolchildren and young adults in the Greater Washington region. Formed last year, the Greater Washington Jump$tart Coalition (www.gwjumpstart.org) is an affiliate of the national Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy (www.jumpstart.org).

http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2007/2007-74.htm