Austin, Texas—Junior Achievement (JA) of Central Texas today announced a grant from Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) that will help deliver critical personal finance skills to the next generation of youth in the greater Austin area.
JA programs help young people gain the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. The grant will provide additional elementary and middle school programs to students in the community. In Austin, MassMutual volunteers will be teaching JA Our FamiliesTM, a first grade program that discusses the role of families in the local economy, at Wooldridge Elementary School. The curriculum will include volunteers sharing their personal and professional experiences with students and will be delivered through the JA in a Day format, where all five lessons are taught in one day, on April 18, 2013. “We are thrilled to receive this gift on behalf of our local students,” said Dave Swincher, president of Junior Achievement of Central Texas. “MassMutual has given tangible proof of its practical commitment to giving young people advantages through financial literacy.” The Junior Achievement mission is a direct correlation with MassMutual’s mission to help families become more confident in their financial decisions and empower them to take control of their financial situations.
According to the Council for Economic Education’s “Survey of the States 2011: The State of Economic and Personal Finance Education in our Nation’s Schools,” only 13 states require its schools to teach personal finance skills to its students. “It is critical to teach our children the skills they need to manage their finances. Learning to make smart financial decisions early in life can help them make the transition to college and financial independence later in life,” said Nick Fyntrilakis, MassMutual’s vice president of Community Responsibility. Indeed, college debt is a major concern for the next generation. Currently, more than 60 percent of all students take out loans and the average college graduate has more than $24,000 in debt upon graduation, according to The New York Times.
“We are so excited that this new and exciting partnership will help empower more students to make a connection between what they learn in school and how it can be applied to their lives as they grow older,” said Swincher.
Junior Achievement of Central Texas was one of five JA Areas across the nation selected to receive a MassMutual grant.
About Junior Achievement USA® (JA)Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches 4.2 million students per year in more than 120 markets across the United States, with an additional 5.8 million students served by operations in 120 other countries worldwide. Visit www.ja.org for more information.
About MassMutualFounded in 1851, MassMutual is a leading mutual life insurance company that is run for the benefit of its members and participating policyholders. The company has a long history of financial strength and strong performance, and although dividends are not guaranteed, MassMutual has paid dividends to eligible participating policyholders consistently since the 1860s. With whole life insurance as its foundation, MassMutual provides products to help meet the financial needs of clients, such as life insurance, disability income insurance, long term care insurance, retirement/401(k) plan services, and annuities. In addition, the company’s strong and growing network of financial professionals helps clients make good financial decisions for the long-term. MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing name for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and its affiliated companies and sales representatives. MassMutual is headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts and its major affiliates include: Babson Capital Management LLC; Baring Asset Management Limited; Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC; The First Mercantile Trust Company; MassMutual International LLC; MML Investors Services, LLC, Member FINRA and SIPC; OppenheimerFunds, Inc.; and The MassMutual Trust Company, FSB.For more information, visit www.massmutual.com or find MassMutual on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Google+.
