The Financial Literacy Initiative is a statewide program sponsored by the ABA Leadership Section that provides basic financial education to high school seniors throughout the communities of Alabama. Using the FDIC Money Smart program individuals build a 5-day curriculum designed to give high school seniors a basic understanding of fundamental financial principles. The program requires the banker (instructor) to meet with the students of the same teacher for 5 days in up to a 5-week period.

Purpose

• To provide a specific program designed to educate targeted groups of high school seniors throughout the state on basic financial matters.

• To introduce new bankers to AYB, who will initially serve as instructors for this initiative and later become active within the organization.

• To increase statewide contacts.

• To further expand participation in the AYB Essay Scholarship.

Who is involved?
This Initiative seeks to enlist the help of local bankers to step into the classroom and serve as “instructors” of the curriculum. You do not need to be a member of Alabama Young Bankers to participate.

When will it take place?
Bankers (instructors) should begin teaching during January 2008 and have the program completed no later than April 1, 2008.

What is the curriculum?
The program runs one hour per day, one day per week, for five weeks. The curriculum comes from the FDIC Money Smart Financial Education program, and is broken down as follows:

	Week 1--Bank On It. This section seeks to provide to students basic information about financial institutions, such as different types of financial institutions, general banking terms, basic banking services and account types, and the specific roles of bank employees.
	Week 2--Borrowing Basics. This section attempts to explain to students the value of credit and to give them a basic understanding of different types of loans.
	Week 3 - Check It Out. This section gives students an understanding of the benefits of using a bank, focusing mainly on the correct use and reconciliation of a checking account.
	Week 4 - Money Matters. This section is designed to help students understand how to build a personal budget and how to use it as a financial tool.
	Week 5 - To Your Credit. This sections is geared toward teaching students how to identify and read a credit report, as well as to impart upon them the value of credit and how to protect it.