Health & Fitness
Bethesda-Area Students to Receive Junior Achievement’s Financial Literacy Programs, Delivered by Local MassMutual Volunteers
Junior Achievement of Greater Washington received a grant from MassMutual; students at Bethesda's Westland Middle School will learn about financial literacy from volunteers, starting Friday, May 3.
Junior Achievement (JA) of Greater Washington today announced a grant from Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) that will help deliver important personal finance skills to youth in and around the nation’s capital.
At Bethesda’s Westland Middle School starting May 3, MassMutual volunteers will teach JA Economics for Success®, which helps middle school students explore education and career options based on their skills, interests and values. The curriculum will include volunteers sharing their personal and professional experiences with students to reinforce the program’s concepts.
“We are thrilled to receive this gift on behalf of our local students, and look forward to working with MassMutual volunteers to deliver Junior Achievement programs,” said Ed Grenier, president and chief executive officer of Junior Achievement of Greater Washington.
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The Junior Achievement mission aligns with MassMutual’s mission to help families become more confident in their financial decisions and empower them to take control of their financial situations.
According to the Council for Economic Education’s Survey of the States 2011: The State of Economic and Personal Finance Education in our Nation’s Schools, only 13 states require their schools to teach personal finance.
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“It is critical to teach our children the skills they need to manage their finances. Learning to make smart financial decisions early in life can help them make the transition to college and financial independence later in life,” said Nick Fyntrilakis, MassMutual’s vice president of Community Responsibility.
Indeed, college debt is a major concern for the next generation. Currently, more than 60 percent of all students take out loans and the average college graduate has more than $24,000 in debt upon graduation, according to The New York Times.
“We are excited that this partnership will help empower more students to make a connection between what they learn in school and how it can be applied to their lives as they grow older,” said Grenier.
Junior Achievement of Greater Washington was one of five JA Areas across the nation selected to receive a MassMutual grant.
