– Cha-Ching Money Smart Kids! Awards St. Mary’s Elementary School $10,000, a fun financial literacy event and $1,000 for a Charity of their Choice, PLUS Access to Resources for Educators and Families to Help Students Grades K-6 Become Financially Empowered Adults –
Bellevue, Nebraska (Wednesday, March 7, 2018) – Jackson Charitable Foundation, a nonprofit with the mission to advance financial knowledge on a national scale and Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, today announced St. Mary’s Elementary School in Bellevue, Nebraska as the $10,000 grand prize winner of the Cha-Ching Money Smart Kids! contest. The contest invited elementary school teachers and families to take a pledge to teach kids how to “earn, save, spend and donate.” St. Mary’s was also awarded a $1,000 prize to donate to a charity of their choice, with the goal of teaching students about the value of making donations.
“Our thanks to all the educators and parents who participated in the ‘Cha-Ching Money Smart Kids!’ challenge,” said Danielle Robinson, executive director, Jackson Charitable Foundation. “You play a critical role in helping students understand the basics of personal finance and we’re proud to help make that work a little easier with ‘Cha-Ching’. Putting kids on the right path for financial success in the future benefits all of us.”
Today, students participated in a stimulating and informative financial literacy event at their school and heard from world-renowned children’s educational media expert Dr. Alice Wilder, producer of Blues Clues and co-creator of Super WHY! Cha-Ching Money Smart Kids! provides youth with critical 21century skills early in their education by beginning high-quality financial literacy education in elementary school, where it can be fundamentally embedded into core learning experiences. Available at no-cost to classrooms nationwide, the program includes educator resources, family activities, animated videos and more.
“It has been energizing to collaborate with Jackson Charitable Foundation and Discovery Education to bring Cha-Ching to schools just like St. Mary’s across the country. Together, we have inspired conversations that encourage youth to dream and make financial management choices for the future,” said Dr. Alice Wilder, producer for Blues Clues and co-creator for Super WHY! “We know that kids learn more from what they see than what we say. Around money, what they mostly see, is spending. Cha-Ching focuses on the four money choices we all have to reach our individual goals and dreams — earn, save spend and donate – the earlier these choices are understood and good habits are formed, the more empowered kids will be to make better choices throughout their lives.”
Cha-Ching Money Smart Kids! activities are designed to bring personal finance topics to life across all subject areas. This engaging and fun financial education program was developed to help train the next generation of financially empowered adults and equip students grades K-6 with the knowledge, tools, and practice they need to make informed decisions to reach their goals and dreams.
Engaging Music Videos — Helping children learn money management concepts with lively cartoon characters from the Cha-Ching Money Smart Kids! band. Storylines, developed by Dr. Alice Wilder, producer for Blues Clues and co-creator for Super WHY!, spotlight the importance of earning, saving, spending and donating, and help reinforce healthy money habits.
Classroom Activities — Providing K-6 educators with engaging activities to teach students to be money smart.
Educator Guides — Aiding educators in enhancing their background knowledge, making meaningful classroom connections, and leveraging the Cha-Ching financial literacy videos to make classroom activities simple and fun.
Family Activities — Offering parents, families and communities helpful tools to teach their children to be money smart.
Sweepstakes — Promoting positive money habits and awarding deserving schools a $10,000 prize to build a brighter financial future.
“Discovery Education is thrilled to join Jackson Charitable Foundation to celebrate St. Mary’s Elementary School and their efforts to excel in teaching our youngest learners the building blocks of financial literacy,” said Lori McFarling, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Discovery Education. “The ‘Cha-Ching Money Smart Kids!’ program offers educators compelling ways to develop students into fiscally fit leaders and puts families on the pathway to a financially liberating future.”
Launched in April 2017, Cha-Ching Money Smart Kids! amplifies engaging financial literacy content and brings it to classrooms and families across the United States. Cha-Ching is a cartoon band that features six energetic characters, brought to life in music videos, which help children learn about fundamental money management concepts through the band members’ different approaches to money habits. Original videos, created by Dr. Wilder, feature storylines that underscore the four key concepts of money: “earn, save, spend and donate.” These concepts emphasize the cycle of money and vital choices that are made every day, throughout life.
“Cha-Ching helps to prepare our students with the knowledge, tools and practice they need to make smart money decisions,” said Dr. Trish Wallinger, Principal, St. Mary’s Elementary School, Bellevue, Nebraska. “St. Mary’s Elementary School is elated to win the ‘Cha-Ching Money Smart Kids!’ contest grand prize and we take pride in encouraging our students to become financially empowered adults who have the power to positively impact their own communities and lives.”
These resources are available at cha-chingusa.org and through Discovery Education Streaming. For more information about Discovery Education’s digital content and professional development services, visit discoveryeducation.com. Stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Facebook, follow us on Twitter at @DiscoveryEd, or find us on Instagram and Pinterest.
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Jackson National Life Insurance Company® (Jackson) is a leading provider of retirement products for industry professionals and their clients. The company offers a diverse range of products including variable, fixed and fixed index annuities designed for tax-efficient accumulation and distribution of retirement income for retail customers, and fixed income products for institutional investors. Jackson subsidiaries and affiliates provide specialized asset management and retail brokerage services. Jackson prides itself on product innovation, sound corporate risk management practices and strategic technology initiatives. Focused on thought leadership and education, the company develops proprietary research, industry insights and financial representative training on retirement planning and alternative investment strategies. Jackson is also dedicated to corporate social responsibility and supports charities focused on helping children and seniors in the communities where its employees live and work. For more information, visit jackson.com.
The Jackson Charitable Foundation, the charitable-giving arm of Jackson, is a 501(c)(3) private operating foundation. Its mission is to provide educational programming to increase the financial knowledge of Americans. Our vision is for all Americans to have the strong personal finance skills that allow people to live fuller, more self-directed lives. The Foundation works with Jackson associates and world-class partners to provide economic opportunities that build strong communities. Follow the Jackson Charitable Foundation at jacksoncharitablefoundation.org, on Facebook at @JacksonCharitableFoundation and on Twitter at @JacksonFdn.
Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content, professional development, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Serving 4.5 million educators and over 50 million students, Discovery Education’s services are in half of U.S. classrooms, 50 percent of all primary schools in the UK, and more than 50 countries. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that increase academic achievement. Discovery Education is powered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one nonfiction media company in the world. Explore the future of education at DiscoveryEducation.com.
