UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State Cooperative Extension, a partner in the Pennsylvania Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, has joined government agencies, educational institutions, trade associations, corporations and sponsors of education programs to launch Financial Literacy for Youth Month in April 2000.

In observance of Financial Literacy for Youth Month, Penn State will highlight the National Endowment for Financial Education and cooperative extension's High School Financial Planning program, a curriculum that teaches high school students essential, practical concepts of personal finance.

On April 6, the coalition released national survey results that showed that twelfth graders' knowledge of personal finance basics dropped since a 1997 survey and that they are poorly prepared to make financial decisions.

"The ultimate goal of all of these activities is to empower young people to make positive and sound decisions to reach their financial goals," says Marilyn Furry, associate professor of extension education.

In January 2000, Pennsylvania was the fourteenth state to form a state-level Jump$tart Coalition. Organizations who founded the Pennsylvania coalition include Penn State Cooperative Extension; Consumer Credit Counseling Services of the Lehigh Valley, Northeastern Pennsylvania, and Western Pennsylvania; Consumer Lending Society; Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Jump$tart Coalition (national); Junior Achievement; Office of the Attorney General; Pennsylvania Association of Family and Consumer Sciences; Pennsylvania Bankers Association; Pennsylvania Department of Banking; Pennsylvania Department of Education; Pennsylvania Partnership for Economic Education; Pennsylvania Securities Commission; Pennsylvania State Education Association; and the U.S. Treasury Savings Bond Office.

Other groups interested in joining the coalition can contact Marilyn Furry by phone at 814-863-7428 or by e-mail at mfurry@psu.edu.

In addition to individual activities planned by its partners, the national Jump$tart Coalition will hold major events related to Financial Literacy for Youth Month. An awards banquet was held in Washington D.C. at the national headquarters on April 6 to recognize students, educators and others who have made outstanding contributions to personal finance education.

The national Jump$tart Coalition, founded in 1997, is a nonprofit organization with more than 90 partners working together to improve students' understanding of personal finance basics. For more information about Jump$tart or Financial Literacy for Youth Month, visit the Coalition's Web site at http://www.jumpstartcoalition.org.

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EDITORS: Marilyn Furry can be reached at 814-863-7428.

Contacts: Kim Dionis KDionis@psu.edu 814-863-203 814-865-1068 fax