Jeanette Betancourt, Ed. D.

Senior Vice President, Outreach and Educational Practices

Financial Literacy and

Education Commission Public

Meeting

Starting Early for Financial

Success – Reach and Practice

May 14, 2013 | Washington, DC
PNC Grow Up Great is a

$350 million, multi-year

initiative begun in 2004 to

prepare children from birth

to age five for success in

school and life.

Sesame Workshop

uses the educational

power of media to help

all children reach their

highest potential.

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Research indicates:

• Young adults display lower financial literacy

knowledge than older generations

• There are opportunities to engage young

children in financial education in ways that

integrate the whole family

• Limited bilingual (English/Spanish)

resources supporting everyday

moments and financial education

for young children

FINRA Investor Education Foundation. (2009). 2009 National Financial Capability Study. Retrieved from http://www.finrafoundation.org/resources/research/p120478.

Kiviat, B. “How to Teach Kids About Money.”Time. Monday, January 25, 2010. Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1953695-1,00.html.

Holden, K., Kalish, C., Scheinholtz, L., Dietrich, D., Novak, B. (2009). Financial Literacy Programs Targeted on Pre-School Children. Retrieved from

minds.wisconsin.edu/handle/1793/36314.

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WHY FINANCIAL EDUCATION AND EARLY CHILDHOOD?
Parents

• Felt extremely uncertain of their

own financial education

knowledge

• Limited communication between

caregivers on financial

responsibility

• Did not understand how to

incorporate money concepts with

young children

Grandparents

• Felt their own children needed

financial education even more

than their grandchildren

• Expressed guilt in not doing a

better job

Early childhood educators

• Felt extremely uncomfortable about financial education in a classroom

• Could not consider ways to integrate into themes or daily classroom

routines

• Unaware of how to communicate financial education activities to

families

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WHAT DID OUR FORMATIVE RESEARCH REVEAL?
Choices: Everyday choices link to financial choices

• Selecting between what shoes to wear in the morning – blue or

brown?

• Selecting between an expensive toy versus a less expensive one

• There are needs and wants – needs can be food or shelter while

wants can be fun activities or an expensive toy

Value: Develop a better understanding of the value of people and

things

• Value of a favorite stuffed animal

• Things that are bought have a value (cost)

• People are valued for contributing to their

family and community

Spending, saving, and sharing

• Three jar concept

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INTEGRATING FINANCIAL EDUCATION INTO EVERY DAY MOMENTS
DVD

Free bilingual resources available at

sesamestreet.org/save and pncgrowupgreat.com

Audio Podcast

Online Game

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THE INITIATIVE AND RESOURCES ACROSS MEDIA PLATFORMS
• Children’s Activities

• Family Workshops

• Community Events

• Choices during everyday activities

• People in the community (value)

• Spending (visit to the grocery store),

sharing (sharing items in class), saving

(a classroom saving jar)

• Family Newsletters

Integrated within:

• Community

events

• Early childhood

programs

• Libraries

• Play groups

• Parenting

workshops

• Other activities

Utilized the PNC

Grow Up Great

volunteer network

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FACILITATING INTEGRATION INTO A VARIETY OF SETTINGS
Families:

• Significantly reduced

stress on introducing

financial education as a

family activity

• Increased strategies to

introduce and use the

basics of financial

education with their

children

• Repeatedly used

resources

• Increased the family

members’ own focus on

financial awareness and

practices

Educators:

• Significant increase in

willingness and

understanding of how to

introduce financial education

• Integrated Sesame Street

financial education content

into classroom activities

• Increased educator’s own

financial awareness and

practices

• Desire for technical

assistance

Fluent Research. (2012). For Me, For You, For Later Impact Assessment Report. New York, NY. 8

IMPACT RESEARCH OUTCOMES
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