Arizona Saves' Financial Education Symposium

On November 5, 2008, Arizona Saves hosted a Financial Education Symposium at Black Canyon Conference Center.  Over 170 people, including volunteers, government employees, and financial industry leaders and non-profit leaders where in attendance at this event to learn and discuss strategies to improve financial education and financial products within the community.  Below, "Bank on San Francisco" Program Manager, Leigh Phillips shares lessons from the "Bank on San Francisco" experience.

At the morning breakout Brent Neiser, Director of Strategic Program and Alliances, National Endowment for Financial Education leads a discussion on tools for success in youth financial education. 

During the "Financial Education and the Road to Success" session, Family Self-Sufficiency participants shared their personal success stories with symposium attendees.  Below, the participants pose for a group photo.

Kids Saves Workshops at Goodwill of Central Arizona's e-cademie High School

Arizona Kids Saves instructor, Judy Aguilar-Woertz, helps students to complete the "apartment activity".  The excerise provides a get realistic learning experience on finding the best way to budget for household expenses.

This series of Kids Saves workshop was the first to be held in a regular classroom setting during school hours.  Math students from e-cademie High School's summer program participated in the workshops. 

Kids Saves students have to opportunity to purchase prizes from the class store with money earned by participating in class. 

Kids Saves Train the Trainer Event

Paradise Valley Community College early education major, Sandra Matadamas engages volunteers in an icebreaker.  The excercise is useful as an introduction technique in Kids Saves classes.

Volunteers interested in teaching ages 6-9 create their own spending diaries.

Volunteers interested in teaching ages 10-12 and teens practice the bean game activity.  The game teaches youth the concept of budgeting and financial decision making. 

During the training event, volunteers were asked to draw from personal experiences in finance when teaching children financial education.