JS-1229: Treasury's Iannicola Visits New Mexico to Promote <script type="text/javascript"> var wmNotice = "UNT Web Archive - External links, forms, and search boxes may not function within this collection. Url: http://www.treasury.gov/press/releases/js1229.htm time: 19:40:16 Jan 18, 2009"; var wmHideNotice = "hide"; var contextRoot = "https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/"; </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/js/disclaim.js"></script> <BR>Financial Education



	FROM THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS March 10, 2004 JS-1229 Treasury's Iannicola Visits New Mexico to Promote Financial Education Deputy Assistant Secretary for Financial Education, Dan Iannicola, Jr. today visited Van Buren Middle School in Albuquerque, New Mexico to recognize the school for providing financial education to its students. The ceremony also kicked off a personal financial literacy effort for middle grade students sponsored by Junior Achievement of New Mexico, Inc. During his visit, Mr. Iannicola taught a lesson from Junior Achievement’s Personal Economics program called “Using Credit Wisely” to eighth grade students. He then presented a Certificate of Recognition to the school for its efforts to promote financial education. “It is critical that we make financial education a priority. While financial education is very important for adults, it can have the greatest overall impact on young people whose financial habits have not yet been formed,” said Iannicola. “Today the U.S. Treasury Department applauds the efforts of Van Buren Middle School and Junior Achievement for reaching out to students with this important educational initiative.” Junior Achievement of New Mexico, Inc. currently reaches more than 10,000 students statewide in grades K-12. While in New Mexico, Iannicola also met with representatives of the Native Financial Education Coalition, an organization dedicated to advancing financial education in Native communities. Mr. Iannicola heard from leading financial education providers in the community, and spoke of the need for financial education. “The lack of information about personal finance and credit is an economic barrier for many Native American communities,” said Iannicola. “Providing financial education for those most in need will help remove that barrier.” The meeting was held at the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) in Albuquerque and included representatives of SIPI, the National Congress of American Indians, the Indigenous Community Enterprises, the Navajo Partnership for Housing, Inc., and the Northern Pueblos Housing Authority. The organizations work together to increase awareness of the need for adequate personal finance skills in Native American communities and support each other’s efforts to promote financial management skills through information sharing and collaboration. Dan Iannicola, Jr. was appointed as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Financial Education on September 29, 2003 and is responsible for overseeing the Treasury’s Office of Financial Education (OFE). The OFE was established in 2002 to promote access to financial education programs so that Americans obtain the practical knowledge and skills that will enable them to make informed financial choices throughout their lives. The OFE focuses the Department’s financial education policymaking, and ensures coordination on financial education within the Department and all of its bureaus. The OFE provides the Department of the Treasury with expertise on the many complex and interdisciplinary issues involved in financial education, and taps into the Department’s wide base of expertise on finance. The OFE also supports 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.