Jump$tart Coalition

First convened in December, 1995, the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy determined that the average student who graduates from high school lacks basic skills in the management of personal financial affairs. Many are unable to balance a checkbook and most simply have no insight into the basic survival principles involved with earning, spending, saving and investing.

Many young people fail in the management of their first consumer credit experience, establish bad financial management habits, and stumble through their lives learning by trial and error. The Coalition´s direct objective is to encourage curriculum enrichment to ensure that basic personal financial management skills are attained during the K-12 educational experience. The wheels of education do not need to be reinvented, they simply require balance.

If you would like to become a “Sponsor” for this important national education conference,
please click here.

If your organization would like to register as an “Exhibitor” for the event, please click here to access the enrollment form.

Teacher registration for the conference will begin September 1, 2009. Watch the Jump$tart Coalition^® Web site for more information.


		Jump$tart's aim is to identify high-quality personal finance materials for educational use. The Clearinghouse is a database of personal finance resources available from a variety of education providers such as government, business and non-profit organizations. Once you find a material of interest, you can order it directly from the source. Many of the materials are low cost or free of charge. Teachers often use these personal finance teaching materials to support their state's standards in economics, business, math and family and consumer science.

	Money Smart for Young Adults
The FDIC's Money Smart for Young Adults curriculum helps instructors teach youth between ages 12 and 20 the basics of handling their money and finances. Financial education can give young people the knowledge and confidence to manage their finances responsibly. Each of the eight instructor-led modules consists of a fully scripted instructor guide, participant guide, and overheads. The materials also include an optional computer-based scenario that allows students to complete exercises based on each module, such as shopping for a credit card. The modules are: Bank On It: Banking Basics Check It Out: Checking Accounts Money Matters: Spending & money management Pay Yourself First: Savings options and goals Borrowing Basics: Credit fundamentals Charge It Right: Credit cards Paying for College and Cars: Information specific to education and auto loans A Roof Over Your Head: Apartment and home ownership basics

Money Smart for Young Adults is: Free; Aligned with state educational standards, in addition to the Jump$tart National Standards in K-12 Personal Finance Education; Provides objective information; Customizable based on audience needs; Not protected by copyrights; and, Based on the award-winning adult Money Smart curriculum that can bring proven results. Potential uses for the curriculum include as Part of a required course; A supplement to material in economics, social studies, math, or business courses; Optional material for visiting/guest teachers; An after-school elective; A school group or club project; or as A workshop offered by organizations serving youth.
Instructors may also supplement the Money Smart for Young Adults curriculum with the new Money Smart Podcast Network. This MP3 version uses verbal descriptions and topic-based scenarios to deliver basic financial information. Students can listen online or download the files to an mp3 player. To learn more, or order a free copy, visit: http://www.fdic.gov/moneysmart

Jump$tart Honors Financial Literacy Leaders

U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-30-TX) was named Jump$tart's 2009 Federal Legislator of the Year at Jump$tart's Annual Awards Dinner, held April 1 at the Renaissance Washington, DC Hotel. The Jump$tart Coalition also recognized financial advisor and media personality Ric Edelman, who has emceed nearly every Jump$tart awards dinner in the organization's history and named the Tennessee Jump$tart Coalition its State Coalition of the Year. Dr. Barbara O'Neill, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, was presented with the William E. Odom Visionary Leadership Award. Her remarks can be found in the downloads section of this website.

Jump$tart's national partner organization, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, presented an award to the national winner of its 2009 financial literacy poster contest to Leah Ellyson, an 11th grade student at North Marion High School in Farmington, West Virginia. Leah's award-winning art can be found in the downloads section of this website.

The Jump$tart Coalition thanks its event underwriter Capital One; its benefactors, Bank of America, HSBC-North America, Visa Inc., and Wells Fargo; and the many individuals and organizations that generously supported the evening.

"Counting on Financial Literacy"
Jump$tart's 2009 Annual Awards Dinner, Washington, DC.

"Counting on Financial Literacy!"

That's the theme of the Jump$tart Coalition annual report for 2008. In these dire times, it is imperative that our nation's students have the knowledge and skills they need to manage their personal finances. They need to count on themselves and their financial literacy to make their way in a complicated world.

Click here to see the accomplishments and activities in 2008 of not only the Jump$tart Coalition itself but also the Jump$tart national partners and the many state coalitions. .

President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy
2008 Annual Report to the President

"On January 22, 2008, President George W. Bush signed an executive order creating, for the first time, a President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy. The charge was simple, yet daunting: improve financial literacy among all Americans. After an exciting year of work toward this goal, I believe we have made tremendous progress at laying the groundwork for a comprehensive effort to achieve this goal. I am pleased, on behalf of the Council, to present the first annual report to the President, which details the progress we made this year and outlines a series of recommendations for future initiatives that will help the country achieve the level of financial literacy that is imperative in today's global economy…"

Charles R. Schwab
Chairman, President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy
Founder, Chairman and CEO, the Charles Schwab Corporation

Please click here to view the full report.

The National Financial Literacy Challenge is a voluntary 35-question test that high school students can take to earn recognition for their financial knowledge. The National Financial Literacy Challenge is offered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury at the recommendation of the President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy.

There is no plan to conduct the Challenge in spring 2009. For future updates and additional information about the challenge, please click here.

Teachers: If you have participated in the Challenge previously, you will automatically be notified when the next teacher registration begins. If you are a high school teacher who has not previously participated in the Challenge and would like to be placed on the teacher distribution list, please click here.

Jump$tart Coalition - 2009 Meeting/Events Schedule

Third Quarter Board Meeting

Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC. National Board Members only, please.

Fourth Quarter Board, Partner, and Committee Meetings

Capital Hilton, Washington, DC

First Annual Jump$tart Coalition National Educator Conference

	REALITY CHECK HAS MOVED! Here is the new URL: http://www.jumpstart.org/realitycheck

The 12 Principles Calendars for 2009 are now Out of Stock! Unfortunately, an overwhelming response to this offer has depleted the Jump$tart Coalition supply of 12 Principles calendars for this year. We're so glad you liked them! Remember, however, the calendar is still available as a PDF download. Please click on the link below to see a printable version of the calendar in a PDF format. Once again, thanks to Capital One for its support! It is appreciated. The Jump$tart Coalition® has developed twelve personal finance principles for young people to connect to their financial futures. This year, these practical, everyday ideas are sponsored by Capital One®. If followed, these principles can help students stay connected to their financial lives-start today! If you would like to download a PDF version of the calendar, please click here. Please click HERE if you would like to see lessons plans developed around the 12 Principles.

THE FINANCIAL LITERACY OF YOUNG AMERICAN ADULTS - CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Support for the survey provided by the Merrill Lynch Foundation.

THE FINANCIAL LITERACY
OF YOUNG AMERICAN ADULTS
Results of the 2008 National Jump$tart Coalition
Survey of High School Seniors and College Students

By
Lewis Mandell, Ph.D.
University of Washington and the Aspen Institute
For the Jump$tart Coalition® for Personal Financial Literacy

The 2008 national Jump$tart survey of high school seniors was the sixth such biennial survey and completed the first ten years of measuring financial literacy in the United States. In 2008, the Jump$tart Coalition also conducted its first national survey designed to measure the financial literacy of college students. The two surveys present contrasting results. The financial literacy of high school students has fallen to its lowest level ever, with a score of just 48.3 percent. The average score for college students on the same 31 question exam, however, was 62.2 percent, nearly 15 percentage points above that of high school seniors. In fact, if measured on the high school senior base of 48.3 percent, college students actually did nearly 29 percent better. In addition, scores improved for every year of college with seniors averaging 64.8 percent. The good news is that American college graduates are close to being financially literate and probably will be so with more life experience. The bad news is that just 25 percent of our young adults are graduating from college and this number appears to have stabilized. This means that 75 percent of young American adults are likely to lack the skills needed to make beneficial financial decisions.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

The Coalition produces a quarterly newsletter called the "Jump$tart Update" designed to keep educators informed about personal finance education tools and concepts, sample lesson plans, upcoming events and the activities of the Coalition and member organizations.

Receive a sample copy of the newsletter by calling (202) 466-8604.

Order online by clicking here.