Youth Financial Education Institute Focuses on Financial Literacy
Storrs, CT (5/28/2008) - A select group of high achieving secondary school students participated in the second annual Youth Financial Education Institute hosted by the UConn School of Business on May 16, 2008. The day included lectures by UConn's finance faculty on money and banking, investments and starting a business. "Financial education for students is an area that is getting more attention, especially since there are more opportunities to get into financial trouble," said Linda Klein, associate dean of the School of Business.
Sponsored by the School of Business and Connecticut Junior Achievement, an organization dedicated to educating students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy, the twenty-three attendees and their teacher advisers were chosen as winners of a statewide high school competition. Only one student from each high school comprised the attending group, representing a diverse cross-section of Connecticut's secondary schools.
"The program is primarily designed to educate students about personal finance," said James Sfiridas, associate professor of finance and coordinator of this year's event. "We live in a world in which finance has become a critical life skill, all but forcing everyone to have a basic understanding of finance."
The program was also designed to bring high school students into a university setting and allow them to experience college level instructors, according to Lou Golden, president of Junior Achievement of Southwest New England."I thought it was a great opportunity to see what college is like and learn about something I like at the same time," said Joe Banach who attended the institute last year and just completed his first year of college.
PHOTO: (Top) Vincent J. Armentano, Senior Vice President of Business Insurance Claims at Travelers Insurance addresses the student/teacher group during the luncheon. (Bottom) Student participants.
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