December 13, 2004
JS-2143

U.S. Treasury Official Promotes Financial Education in Puerto Rico

Sandra Pedroarias, Director of Outreach for Treasury's Office of Financial Education, today taught sixth graders at the Abraham Lincoln Elementary School in San Juan, Puerto Rico how to budget and save.  While in Puerto Rico, Pedroarias met with officials from the Puerto Rico Department of Education and the Youth Affairs Agency to learn about their financial education initiatives. She also shared with them financial education best practices as well as tools and resources provided by the federal government.

"Teaching children to make good financial decisions like increasing their savings will serve them well throughout their lives," said Pedroarias. "I congratulate the Department of Education of Puerto Rico for advancing the cause for financial education and for their leadership in promoting financial education in Puerto Rico schools."

Through partnerships with the banking industry, the Department of Education of Puerto Rico provides financial education to elementary and high school students. The Department has also implemented a curriculum to train high school teachers in personal finance so that they are better prepared to teach students about money. 

The Department of the Treasury is a leader in promoting financial education.  Treasury established the Office of Financial Education in May of 2002. The office works to promote access to the financial education tools that can help all Americans make wiser choices in all areas of personal financial management, with a special emphasis on saving, credit management, home ownership and retirement planning.  The office also coordinates the efforts of the Financial Literacy and Education Commission, a group chaired by the Secretary of Treasury and composed of representatives from 20 federal departments, agencies and commissions, which works to improve financial literacy and education for people throughout the United States.  For more information about the Office of Financial Education visit: www.treas.gov/offices/domestic-finance/financial-institution/fin-education/.