Money Smart Week Wisconsin scheduled for April 21-28

MADISON – Dozens of communities across the state will participate in Money Smart Week Wisconsin April 21-28 with events focused on improving the personal financial awareness and education of Wisconsin citizens.

Money Smart Week Wisconsin is the highlight of April being national financial literacy awareness month, a collaborative effort by state and federal agencies and private-sector groups to raise awareness about the importance of financial literacy.

The Governor’s Council on Financial Literacy, in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, is spearheading Money Smart Week Wisconsin, the celebration of which was proclaimed by Governor Scott Walker on April 2.

Many of the Money Smart Week events will be geared toward elementary school-age children. More information about Money Smart Week can be found at www.moneysmartweek.org.

Initiatives being planned during Money Smart Week and throughout April include:

• “The Big Read,” a statewide event for children in Grades Pre-K-4. At dozens of locations across the state, adults will read “Those Shoes” by Maribeth Boelts. More than 2,500 complimentary copies of the book will be distributed. The book giveaway is being funded by the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), its Office of Financial Literacy, and local sponsors.

• Wisconsin Teach Children to Save Day on April 20, sponsored by the Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA). Bankers throughout Wisconsin will discuss budgeting, saving, recognizing needs and wants, and how interest makes money grow with K-12 students. Last year, WBA members made nearly 400 presentations and reached over 23,000 students.

• National Credit Union Youth Month sponsored by the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) and the Wisconsin Credit Union League. Credit unions across Wisconsin will be offering a variety of financial education opportunities such as savings challenges to their youth members.

• National Credit Education Month sponsored by CBM Credit Education Foundation Inc.

• April is Financial Literacy Month, sponsored by the National Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy and Wisconsin Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy (www.jumpstart.org/faq.html).

“Money Smart Week is a great opportunity for people to take advantage of the many free and informative programs and workshops being offered during throughout Wisconsin,” said Jay Risch, Secretary of the Department of Financial Institutions. “I applaud the many organizations, businesses and volunteers for their participation in Money Smart Week and their year-round support of financial literacy awareness efforts.”