Benefits of HiFi Involvement for Business

The Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA) is implementing a program that advocates for basic financial skills to be taught voluntarily to high school aged students through the classroom and other community based programs. The curriculum used is a nationally recognized financial skills curriculum provided at no cost by the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE). The curriculum has been mapped to existing state educational requirements for Math, Science/Technology, English, Health and Social Science and has been endorsed by the State’s Department of Education.

How Can Businesses Participate?

• Join the Speakers Bureau – Be available for those schools that elect to participate in the program, volunteers may be needed to teach all or portions of the curriculum. Business professionals have the knowledge and the credibility to be teaching financial literacy even beyond the NEFE curriculum. Professionals will be trained during the same sessions offered to the teachers. Training sessions are one full day, from 8am to 4pm
• Sponsor Teacher Training – Demonstrate your commitment to the community by providing substitute teachers for the teachers in your community who sign up for training. Contact local schools and to offer your services and get them involved. Be creative other opportunities exist here too. Training sessions are one full day, from 8am to 4pm
• Sponsoring a School – Sponsor a school by providing volunteers to help with teaching and potentially run programs for students, have interns work for credit, etc. One example is a bank setting up savings accounts with an initial deposit for graduates of the program.  Sponsors should also plan on attending teacher-training sessions, which are one full day, form 8am to 4pm.

How will Businesses Benefit from Participating in the Financial Literacy Program?

• Businesses will gain the reputation of being an educational partner within community schools and non-profit organizations.
• Businesses may help their market share by capturing the future business of students and their families if they work with these constituents to develop attractive programs.
• Businesses will be supporting their own employees who have school age children, and encouraging volunteerism.
• Businesses could develop their workforce base and client base through the use of career-based training opportunities and school-located branches.
• Financial institutions will likely be the beneficiaries of the improved credit risk resulting from better educated local consumers and future business owners.