The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County partnered with Junior Achievement, experts in museum exhibit design, and the Mahoning County Financial Stability Partnership to provide a continuum of family-centered financial education experiences and services.
Key Activities:
- Implemented a “Get Smart with Your Money” marketing campaign with TV spots, print materials, displays, and electronic communications about money fundamentals, credit repair, job loss, identity theft, saving, investing, housing issues, and other financial themes of importance to young families.
- Conducted 73 financial education programs at library and non-library sites on money basics, financial education for small business owners, investing resources at the library, investing 101, women & money, kids & money, retirement planning, Social Security, credit, consumer protection, and fraud prevention, among other topics.
- Organized family financial fairs in partnership with community agencies and regional nonprofits.
- Supported the financial literacy programming of the Youngstown Metropolitan Housing Authority and other members of the Mahoning County Financial Stability Partnership by providing resource materials and information about relevant library collections and services.
- Created and circulated a series of financial literacy kits, in partnership with Junior Achievement, for use by librarians, caregivers, teachers, and partner agencies with children in pre-school through grade five. The Kits featured a financial literacy concept and related books, activities, and educational media differentiated by age group.
- Designed hands-on financial literacy multimedia traveling exhibits for school-age children in partnership with educators at the local children’s museum.
- Integrated money themes into the library’s summer reading program for children.
