Financial literacy classes coming to Metro East
Better Family Life and the Federal Deposit Insurance Company (FDIC) announced their alliance partnership at a press conference Wednesday, March 1 in East St. Louis. The FDIC has given sole certification in Southern Illinois to Better Family Life to teach the Money Smart Financial Literacy Program. Better Family Life also has certification to teach in the St. Louis area.
Mayor Carl Officer of East St. Louis spoke to the audience, saying Better Family Life is just the organization to spearhead this financial literacy initiative. Dorothy Brown, community affairs specialist for the FDIC Chicago office, explained the program to the audience. Brown said that by 2007, the FDIC plans to reach one million people with the Money Smart curriculum.
Maurice Washington, Director of Housing and Asset Development at Better Family Life, said, “Financial Literacy is fast becoming the undergirding philosophy of the Civil Rights Movement. The empirical nature of finance lends itself to be the mortar of a fractured community.”
Kristie Baumgartner, representative of the Alton, IL school district, said that she looks forward to reviewing the curriculum and working to make it a part of the Alton School System.
Better Family Life CEO and Founder Malik Ahmed closed out the press conference stating his enthusiasm about Better Family Life and FDIC collaborating to bring this Financial Literacy program to the area. Ahmed said that Better Family Life’s work to train low- to moderate-income populations in financial literacy holds the blueprint for success.
Ahmed said, “We know we can play an important role in rebuilding Metro East communities. We know we can build bridges to hope, opportunities and careers.”
For more information, contact Angela Pierce at (314) 446-8227 or pierceangela@hotmail.com.
