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Save the date for April 3, 2018, for Junior Achievement’s annual Stock Market Challenge, presented by CFA Society of Iowa. This exciting, fast-paced competition gives high school students the chance to experience a simulation of a 60-day cycle of the stock market and its function of buying, selling, analysis and risk. Every 60 seconds represents a day of trading. The goal of each team (3-4 players) is to accumulate the highest possible net worth for their investment portfolio at the close of trading.

New this year, the day will also include a career exploration fair – where students can meet with company representatives from a variety of industries to learn more about job opportunities available in those industries.

Click here for more information about the event. To register a team, contact Kelly Hogan at kelly@jacentraliowa.org or 515-279-9602, ext. 219.

MoneyTeach is a resource center where K-12 educators can search and select from a variety of personal finance lesson plans, course guides and other financial education materials. Educators new to teaching personal finance can jump start their lesson planning by learning from experienced peers who share their insights and best practices in regards to specific lessons and activities.

What’s Available

• Lesson Plans: There is collection of lesson plans that can be searched for by content topic, arranged by Jump$tart standards. Additional search options include grade level, duration of instruction, material type or keyword search to select personal finance lessons or activities offered by leading curricula providers.
• Course Guides: MoneyTeach has put together course guides with suggested instruction materials for those looking to teach courses of various lengths. The present guides have been made for courses taught for a week, two weeks, a quarter or semester.
• In-the-Know: This section of the MoneyTeach website contains articles from prominent educators and professionals active in the field of personal finance and financial education.
• Sharing Opportunities: Each lesson plan page offers educators to “Share Your Experience” after teaching a lesson. This gives teachers a chance to share guidance, tips and ideas for what worked or didn’t work about the lesson in classrooms of various sizes.

To learn more, visit MoneyTeach.org.

America Saves Week 2018 is set for February 26 – March 3, 2018 and registration is officially open!

During America Saves Week, nonprofit, government, academic and other business groups come together to encourage and support Americans to save effectively. Participating organizations will receive many helpful savings tools and resources to use throughout the week. These materials include contests, social media posts and graphics, and sample presentations and activities.

Savings topics for 2018 include the following:

• Monday, February 26: Save with a plan
• Tuesday, February 27: Save the easy way…automatically
• Wednesday, February 28: Save for rainy days
• Thursday, March 1: Save to retire
• Friday, March 2: Save the extra
• Saturday, March 3: Save as a family

To register for America Saves Week and to view a list of participating organizations, click here.

The American Bankers Association’s (ABA) Lights, Camera, Save! Contest is now open. This national contest encourages teens to make a video demonstrating the value of money management and the importance of saving.

Students can enter the contest by submitting videos no longer than 90 seconds to local participating banks. Participating banks then choose a local winner and their video advances to the national level.

The top three national winners will receive a cash prize of $1,000, $2,500, and $5,000 to put towards their savings. Each of the winners’ schools will also receive a scholarship for a teacher to attend the Jump$tart National Educator Conference.

To learn more about the Lights, Camera, Save! Contest and to find a participating bank near you, click here. The deadline to enter is Dec. 1, 2017.

With the help of many Money Smart Week (MSW) partners, planning teams and national champions across the country, the MSW 2017 campaign was a great success. Through this campaign, coordinated by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, MSW partners and planning teams help leverage public-private partnerships to connect community members with thousands of free educational resources and opportunities during the week long campaign.

To view the MSW 2017 annual report, click here.

The 2018 MSW campaign will take place April 21-28, 2018. For more information about events or becoming a MSW partner, visit http://www.moneysmartweek.org.

New changes mark the fourth year of the parent-focused giveaway program from Iowa Student Loan®.

Fifty parents ― an increase from 30 in previous years ― will be awarded $1,000 deposits into a College Savings Iowa® plan during the Save Now, Save Later: College Savings Plan Parent Giveaway. The program is open to Iowa residents who have a student in grades six through 12 at an Iowa middle or high school.

“This year we’ve added parents of middle schoolers to the eligible participants, as it is an important age to start thinking about college plans, even if it seems far in the future,” said Steve McCullough, president and CEO of Iowa Student Loan. “Our program will help guide parents to start planning for college, and give them a chance to win a $1,000 savings plan contribution, which can make an impact on a college student’s finances.”

No purchase is necessary to enter. The program is open to Iowa residents who are a parent or guardian of an eligible Iowa student. As part of the registration process, parents will view the Parent Handbook, a new online, self-exploratory educational module. The module is a series of valuable tips, categorized by relevant topics, to help families of students in grades 6–12 prepare for success in college and other post-secondary options.

Iowa Student Loan works directly with College Savings Iowa on the giveaway. College Savings Iowa is the state’s direct-sold 529 program, administered by State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald. Parents who are chosen as winners can have the deposit made to an existing account for the registered student, or a new account can be set up upon winning the giveaway.

“The program puts into perspective the importance of being financially aware and that college is an investment in your child’s future,” said Julie Resch, a 2016 winner from Spirit Lake. “It was a great refresher for me as we start to help our second child get ready for entering college.”

Registration for the program runs now through Oct. 22. Winners will be selected in November and announced after they are notified.

Learn more about the giveaway
Parents interested in learning more about the Save Now, Save Later giveaway, or in
entering the giveaway, can visit www.iowastudentloan.org/SaveNow for full giveaway description, official rules, registration and frequently asked questions.

The American Bankers Association (ABA) is sponsoring the 15th annual Get Smart About Credit Program. This national campaign is made of volunteer bankers who work with young people to help raise awareness about the importance of using credit wisely.

Join the ABA for the next Get Smart About Credit Day on Oct. 19, 2017. 

This year, the program will be focusing on five critical areas: paying for college, protecting your identity, knowing your credit score, managing you money and careers in banking.

Many resources are available to registered banks through the campaign. These resources include webinars, presentations and communication tools that are gear toward high school students and young adults.

To learn more about the Get Smart About Credit campaign and to find a list of participating banks, click here.

Questions? Find the answers on the Frequently Asked Questions page. For additional information, contact Jeni Pastier.

A recent survey conducted by ORC International for Junior Achievement, in conjunction with the fall roll out of Junior Achievement’s work-and-career-readiness programs, suggests that many students and parents have concerns about future career prospects.

Of the 1,204 parents of school-aged students surveyed, more than three-quarters of them are “concerned” about their children’s ability to have a successful job or career as adults. According to the survey, this concern is caused by global competition and automation. The parents surveyed aren’t the only one with worries. Among the 1,000 teens surveyed, 77 percent are “concerned” about having a successful job or career as well.

“Education and skills are going to be critical for the next generation’s success in an ever-changing workplace,” said Ryan Osborn, president of Junior Achievement of Central Iowa. “Many of the entry-level jobs we know today won’t be around in the next decade, and many of the jobs of tomorrow haven’t even been conceived of yet.”

“It’s important we encourage our young people to explore post-secondary education, whether that be a university, community college, or a technical or trade school, “he said. “Having some level of technical training is going to be critical for future career success. A high school diploma or GED just won’t be enough for many jobs.”

In the survey, 45 percent of parents said they are “extremely or very” concerned about their children’s prospects for future employment, along with 40 percent of the teens having the same level of concern.

*Survey respondents, conducted from late June through mid-July, were selected from those who have volunteered to participate in online surveys and polls. Due to the sample base being made of individuals who self-selected for participation, no estimate of sampling error can be calculated.

Iowa College Aid has recently released the 2017-18 edition of “Your Course to College.” This guide is a free tool for high school students and their families who are beginning the college process.

“Your Course to College” includes year-by-year strategies, funding strategies, and transition tips. The guide also contains a comprehensive directory of Iowa schools, with tuition and room and board figures, and code numbers for ACT, SAT and FAFSA completion.

To download a copy of “Your Course to College,” click here.

Registration is officially open to all banks interested in partaking in the American Banker Association’s (ABA) Lights, Camera, Save! contest. This national contest encourages teens to make a video demonstrating the value of money management. All videos must be under 90 seconds long and submitted to a participating bank.

Each bank that registers for the contest will host the first round of judging. Each bank will select a winner to compete at the national level for several awards. The grand prize is $5,000, plus a scholarship for a teach at the winner’s school to attend the 2018 Jump$tart National Educator Conference.

For banks interested in hosting, the ABA Foundation will hold a free informational webinar today, Aug. 17 at 3 p.m. EDT. Register for the webinar by clicking here.

To register to become a hosting bank for the Lights, Camera, Save! contest, click here.