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The Money Matters: Make it CountSM program is funded by Charles Schwab Foundation and is available through all Boys & Girls Clubs of America that serve teens. Through fun, interactive activities and exercises on topics like using a checking account, learning how to budget, managing debt and saving for college, Boys & Girls Club members ages 13-18 gain basic money management skills and learn practical ways to save, spend and invest their money.
Older teens (16-18) who complete the program and demonstrate their newly acquired financial literacy skills are eligible for $2,000 scholarships from Charles Schwab Foundation. In addition, one teen is selected as the annual National Ambassador for the program and receives a $5,000 scholarship.
Since the program's inception in May 2004, more than 1,600 Boys & Girls Club locations nationwide have adopted Money Matters, and more than 245,000 teens have completed the program.Charles Schwab Foundation has also presented approximately $345,000 in college scholarships to 167 teens, ages 16-18, who completed the program and demonstrated their newly acquired financial literacy skills.
Tamara Johnson 18, of Santa Fe, NM, is the third teen to be selected as annual National Ambassador, promoting the value of financial education to teens across the nation.
Program Resources
Teen Personal Finance Guide includes practical tips and activities to help teens learn the important skills of balancing a checkbook, creating a budget, saving and investing for college and retirement. The guide also provides basic entrepreneurial information for teens interested in starting businesses.
Facilitator's Guide contains basic financial concepts that club staff and volunteers can use to help teens understand the benefits of effective money management. Easy-to-implement small-group activities that are typically completed in less than an hour supplement and reinforce the information in the Teen Personal Finance Guide.
Money Matters Web Site is an interactive, engaging tool that teen program participants can use to balance a checkbook, make budgeting and investment decisions and learn about starting a business. The secure web site also features a saving and financial aid calculator to help teens plan for college.
Schwab Employee Volunteer Program provides Schwab professionals with an opportunity to volunteer at Clubs and share their financial expertise with Club members and their families. Employees are also encouraged to participate in other programs offered at the Clubs, including homework assistance, art, sports and computer labs.
Money Matters Scholarships and Awards include a certificate of completion for each participant, with scholarship and award winners selected based on their performance. Older teens (16-18) are eligible for $2,000 scholarships from Charles Schwab Foundation, and younger teens (13-15) are eligible to receive awards such as MP3 players.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org) has been changing and saving young lives, providing hope and opportunity for kids who need them most. Today, some 4,300 Clubs serve some 4.5 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Known as The Positive Place for Kids, Boys & Girls Clubs can be found all across the country and on U.S. military bases throughout the world. Clubs provide young people 6-18 years old with guidance-oriented character development programs conducted by trained, professional staff. In communities large and small, Clubs positively impact lives and help young people reach their full potential as productive, caring citizens. Key Boys & Girls Club programs emphasize leadership development; education and career exploration; community service; financial literacy; health and life skills; the arts; sports, fitness and recreation; and family outreach. In a recent Harris Survey of Club alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their life. National headquarters are located in Atlanta.
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