Throughout 2024, the Iowa Jump$tart Coalition worked to improve the financial
literacy of Iowans through the following efforts:
Strategic Planning: The Coalition continued to make progress on the organization’s strategic plan. The concept of becoming the HUB of financial literacy in the state of Iowa is becoming clearer as time goes on and actions are taken.
Board of Directors Retreat: The second annual board retreat was held in February. Board
members met to brainstorm, discuss improvements, and set goals for 2024. The board
identified key accomplishments for each committee to focus on in the new year. In
November, the third annual board retreat was held to get a jump on planning for 2025.
Three current educators agreed to serve on the board of directors in 2025 which is expected to make a huge impact on how the Coalition makes a difference in K-12 financial literacy education.
Financial Literacy Awareness Month: Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds proclaimed April as
Financial Literacy Awareness Month in Iowa with an in-person proclamation signing.
Student Competitions: Iowa Jump$tart sponsored two academic competitions through the Council for Economic Education. Sponsors included the Iowa Division of Banking, The Iowa Insurance Division, The University of Northern Iowa, ISL Education Lending, and Rod Reed.
- National Personal Finance Challenge – Over 1030 students participated. Over $2,000 was provided in cash prizes! State finals were held at the DMACC Urban Campus. 16 volunteers helped with the event.
- National Economics Challenge – Over 295 students participated. Over $2,000 was provided in cash prizes! State finals were held at the DMACC Urban Campus. 14 volunteers helped with the event.
State Coalition Meeting: The board president was able to attend the annual State Coalition Meeting in Washington D.C. held by the national Jump$tart Coalition. Connecting with other state leaders was fruitful and many ideas were brought back to the board of directors to consider.
Symposium for Educators: The board of directors decided to move away from holding a
traditional conference setting after many years of doing so. Instead, a more intimate
symposium was organized with the goal of holding a unique and collaboration heavy
experience for Iowa teachers. Past attendees still had a place to go and receive a similar
conference experience due to one of our Partners holding a summer conference for
teachers. Unfortunately, because of low registration numbers, the difficult decision was
made to cancel the event. We had 14 teachers register but needed a few more in order to make it a go. The board looks forward to offering this type of experience in 2025.
National Educator Conference: Iowa Jump$tart sponsored three Iowa teachers to attend
the conference in Louisville, KY. All expenses were paid. All three reported back that they
had a great experience.
Partner Networking Events: The Coalition created a goal of holding four in-person
networking events encouraging collaboration for our Partners to experience. The following events were organized:
- April – Gathering held after the Governor’s proclamation signing.
- June – Workshop and lunch with the goal of beginning to draft a resource for Iowa educators.
- September – Tailgate before an Iowa State Football game.
New Partners: By the end of 2024, the Coalition had increased official partner numbers to 37.
Iowa Jump$tart Coalition 