The University of Alabama Extension Service, the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama, the Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce, Shelby County Schools, the Alabama Securities Commission, and the Pelham Senior Center assisted Pelham Public Library in delivering a community-wide financial literacy initiative for youth, adults, seniors, and Spanish-speaking library patrons.
Key Activities:
- Conducted 36 financial literacy series, presentations, and outreach services in English and Spanish. This included programming for: parents of ESL students in the local schools; homeschoolers in the region and their parents; elementary, middle, and high school students in the local public schools; college freshman; clients of nearby senior centers; and general adult audiences. Programs included:
- Personal finance 101 for homeschoolers
- Financial fundamentals for ESL students and parents
- Preventing identity theft
- Saving strategies for adults
- Money management for adults
- Understanding credit scores
- Saving, spending, and sharing for children
- Helping parents teach their children financial literacy skills
- Estate planning and trusts
- Personal finance for college students
- Reality Check financial simulation for teens
- Budgeting
- Financing college
- Understanding healthcare costs and options
- Organized “Rhymes and Dimes: Poems about Money,” a program for middle school students in the community, and worked with the middle school media specialist to deliver lesson plans and budgeting activities for students.
- Established a “Bank on Books” program in partnership with a local elementary school whereby students received “book bucks” redeemable for incentives when they checked out and read books with money themes.
- Established the “Pint Sized Penny Pincher Awards” to encourage outstanding examples of children putting good financial skills to work. Winners were featured by Pelham Magazine and the Shelby County Reporter.
- Worked with middle school teachers to integrate financial literacy concepts into math classes.
- Delivered the FDIC Money Smart program in English and Spanish for participants in the school district’s Learning English and Parenting Skills (LEAPS) program.
