More than 100 teachers, social-service providers, veterans, librarians, parents who are passionate about educating others about financial literacy attended the virtual 7th Annual Financial Capability Conference that was held on Wednesday December 9, 2020 from 4 – 6:30 pm. It was an inspiring program, led by many distinguished education, government, and industry leaders, that empowered participants to expand their financial awareness, knowledge, and capability. Fidelity Investments was a Platinum Sponsor, which allowed this program to be offered free of charge to all participants.
Engaging speakers and an informative teacher panel session addressed the unique personal finance educational needs of K-16 students and adult populations. In addition to the general-interest topic sessions at the conference, there were free, online, self-paced professional development opportunities available to participants during the following week through the Fidelity Investments NovoEd platform. By participating in this conference and the follow-up professional development activities, participants were able to build their personal finance knowledge, connect with professional colleagues from across multiple states, and access a free library of instructional resources.
According to RI General Treasurer Seth Magaziner, who spoke at the conference, “As Treasurer, my first priority is to promote economic growth and financial stability for all Rhode Islanders. Unfortunately, far too many young Rhode Islanders aren’t receiving the financial literacy training they need to succeed later on in life,” said RI General Treasurer Seth Magaziner. “That’s why my office supports legislation to ensure Rhode Island’s students – who could be tomorrow’s entrepreneurs and small business owners with the right training – receive basic finance instruction in school, and that’s why I was so pleased to speak at today’s conference. I thank Jump$tart and the RI Council for Economic Education for their commitment to empowering every Rhode Islander with financial knowledge and tools for success.”
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Conference Schedule:
4:00 – 4:15 pm
Welcoming Remarks by Dr. Margaret Brooks, President RI Jump$tart and RI Council
Greetings and Updates from RI General Treasurer Seth Magaziner
4:15 – 5:00 pm “Research and Resource Updates”
Presented by Rick Metters, Fidelity Investments, Laura Levine, CEO Jump$tart Coalition, and Dan Hebert, Director of Professional Development Jump$tart Coalition
Greetings from Bill Cheeks, Jump$tart Coalition
5:00 – 5:30 pm “The Power of Teaching Personal Finance in 2020” Teacher Panel
Moderated by Kerri McLaughlin, Director of Financial Literacy, Pawtucket Credit Union
Panelists:
Maria Tavarozzi, 2020 RI Financial Literacy Teacher of the Year, Rogers High School, Newport
Marissa Lopes, Teacher, Cranston East High School
Joy Tavano, Teacher, North Kingstown High School
Panel Discussant Dr. Nilton Porto, URI
5:30 – 6:00 pm “Protecting Your Identity Online” Presented by John Clarkson, Vice President of Security, Pawtucket Credit Union
Discussant/Moderator Gail Walker, RISLA
6:00 – 6:30 pm Curriculum Resources and Upcoming Programs
Greetings from Tim Ranzetta, CEO Next Gen Personal Finance
Dr. Pat Page and Dr. Margaret Brooks shared information on K-12 curriculum resources and reviewed the discussion questions/comments. They will also spoke about upcoming programs including the Spring 2021 National Finance Challenge and 2021 National Economics Challenge.
Christina Cuzzi, Fidelity Investments, discussed how participants can access and earn additional financial literacy certificate credits through NovoEd during the week December 10-17, 2020.
6:30 – 7:00 pm Optional Casual Discussion for Participants Who Want to Chat More
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Professional development letters are provided to conference participants who attended the full virtual program on December 9. In addition, educators who completed the NovoEd modules receive additional documentation of their professional development.
This conference was generously sponsored by Fidelity Investments, and organized by the Rhode Island Jump$tart Coalition and the Rhode Island Council for Economic Education.
Please contact us with any questions at info@rijumpstart.org