OCC's Community Affairs staff participates in a range of financial literacy initiatives in communities across the country to help consumers better navigate the increasingly complex financial landscape.
Financial Literacy Day on Capitol Hill
The 2009 Financial Literacy Day on Capitol Hill was conducted by the Jump$tart Coalition, Council for Economic Education, and JA Worldwide. Over 50 exhibitors displayed their financial literacy programs and materials to a large crowd of business leaders, congressional aides, financial educators and the general public. U.S. Senator, Daniel K. Akaka (HI) and U.S. Representatives, Rubén Hinojosa (TX), Judy Biggert (IL), and Carolyn McCarthy (NY) spoke during the event. The OCC Community Affairs staff presented their three newest publications: Cultivating Community-based Financial Literacy Initiatives, School-Based Bank Savings Programs: Bringing Financial Education to Students , and OCC's Consumer Advisory "Consumer Tips for Avoiding Mortgage Modification Scams and Foreclosure Rescue Scams" in addition to a variety of financial literacy publications and resource materials. Photos of the event are shown below.
Attendee reviews OCC’s newest Consumer Advisory which is aimed at avoiding mortgage modification and foreclosure scams (April 2009).
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Karen Bellesi, Sharon Canavan, Hershel Lipow and Adrienne Bouleris represent the OCC at the Financial Literacy Day Fair (April 2009). |
Get Smart About Credit Day
Get Smart About Credit is a financial education program created by the American Bankers Association that allows banking industry professionals to speak about responsible credit use with young adults in high school, college and the workforce. Community Affairs officers have participated in this initiative in schools throughout the country as seen in some of the photos below.
District Community Affairs Officer, Karol Klim, volunteering at Benjamin Mays High School (Oct 2008). |
District Community Affairs Officer, David Lewis, volunteering at the University of Texas (Oct 2008). |
Teach Children to Save Day
Teach Children to Save Day was created by the American Bankers Association to spotlight the importance of teaching the nation's youth about saving money. To help make this initiative successful, banking industry professionals volunteer to make presentations to students in grades K-12 about budgeting, saving, recognizing needs and wants and the impact of interest on money growth. Community Affairs staff routinely offers their time to help with this effort, as can be seen below.
Deputy Comptroller for Community Affairs, Barry Wides, teaches student about needs vs. wants during Teach Children to Save day (April 2008). |
Community Development Expert, Kris Rengert, teaches a class at Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington, D.C. (April 2009). |
National Consumer Protection Week
National Consumer Protection Week highlights consumer protection and education efforts around the country and encourages people to master the financial facts of life. The OCC participates each year by staffing a booth on Capitol Hill and providing information and consumer protection materials to attendees; photos of which can be seen below.
Community Affairs representatives, Hershel Lipow and Adrienne Bouleris, explain OCC's financial literacy offerings to Congresswoman Judy Biggert (Feb 2008). |
Community Affairs representative, Adrienne Bouleris, shares the new HelpWithMyBank.gov publication with event attendees (Feb 2009). |
National Academy of Finance
OCC has built a strong relationship with the National Academy of Finance (NAF), a nonprofit dedicated to preparing young people for careers in the fields of finance. The OCC has placed dozens of students in internship opportunities at the agency's offices across the country.
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