High Water Women Foundation Inc

In today's complicated financial world, it is increasingly important for young people to learn the fundamentals of earning, saving and investing. It is equally important to understand the implications of debt and to avoid the pitfalls of unscrupulous lenders and phisers and other predatory practices. to address this issue, we joined forces with financial industry legend Muriel Siebert in 2009 to launch the Muriel Siebert High Water Women campaign for financial literacy. The objective of the program is to teach low-income teens and adults how to manage money responsibly and to lay the groundwork for a more secure financial future. The ciriculum used in the program was developed by the Siebert Foundation. HWW has updated the ciriculum and expanded it for use with young adults. The students gain knowledge and skills necessary to participate in the banking system, avoid predatory lenders, manage debt,avoid bad credit, understand taxes and to budget and spend wisely, because these essential skills are not included in the school- day curriculums for most NYC public school students. The High Water Women Financial Literacy Program presents a unique opportunity for students to learn about personal finance in after-school and community-based settings. Partners: HWW works with program providers under the NYC department of Youth and Community Development and nonprofit social service and educational groups to identify after-school and community-based sites for the program. We recruit and train volunteers, mostly from the financial services industry, and match them with program sites to provide valuable instruction to hundreds of low-income teens throughout New York City. HWW offers this instructional program at no cost to our organizational partners and program sites. Program: The curriculum is taught in eight weekly sessions (we can also provide a four session model) generally in late afternoons and early evenings. There are three to four volunteers assigned to each pprogram site who share teaching responsibilities with two volunteers scheduled for each session. To prepare volunteers for the program, HWW provides training in the curriculum and tips for teaching teen and adult audiences. Volunteers are provided with curriculum materials and classroom supplies, and supported during their volunteer assignments by other experienced volunteers and HWW staff. Incentives such as a $25 gift cards and completion certificates are offered to students who complete the program. HWW developed questionnaires for students and volunteers to complete at the conclusion of each program. This feedback helps HWW assess and improve the program for volunteers and the students. Since beginning the program in 2009, HWW has provided financial literacy education to more than 9,000 low income New Yorkers.