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Nation’s First Money Bus Rolls into Louisville

(Oct. 13, 2006, INDIANAPOLIS) — The nation’s first financial literacy classroom on wheels will roll into Louisville for the Association of Science and Technology Center’s (ASTC) annual conference Oct. 28-31.

Networks Financial Institute’s “Kids Count on the Money Bus,” aims to educate youth in grades 3 to 5 about responsible money management. The 40-foot-long, activity-packed RV features 13 interactive displays that engage students in age-appropriate financial lessons such as budgeting, saving, spending and charitable giving.

One of ASTC’s goals is to deliver informal science and related knowledge through outreach initiatives. The Money Bus helps achieve that goal through educating youth about financial responsibility early in life, helping to prevent future personal finance problems like bankruptcy and foreclosure.

“The Money Bus gives students the chance to learn financial lessons that they may not have an opportunity to learn elsewhere or that their parents don’t feel comfortable teaching them,” said Elizabeth Coit, executive director of Networks Financial Institute. “Our research indicates that just 25 percent of parents feel comfortable talking with their children about money. The basic financial skills taught on the Money Bus can be used over the course of a person’s lifetime,” Coit noted.

Money Bus activities are specifically designed for students in grades 3 to 5, with lessons carefully mapped to curriculum standards. Pre- and post-visit curriculum is included as part of the Money Bus experience. Teachers can take the skills learned from the Money Bus back to the classroom and incorporate them into their lesson plans.

Beyond teachers, a variety of groups are members of the ASTC and attend the annual conference, including science and technology centers, museums, aquariums, planetariums, zoos, botanical gardens, and companies that provide services and products to science-related places.

Networks Financial Institute at Indiana State University was founded in 2003 with a grant from Lilly Endowment. NFI strives to facilitate broad, collaborative thinking, dialogue and progress in the evolving financial services marketplace, concentrating on the areas of education, outreach and research. Headquartered in Indianapolis with offices in Washington, D.C., and on the campus of Indiana State University, and with outreach internationally, NFI’s goal is to serve as a catalyst for change in the financial services industry.

The ASTC was founded in 1973, and has more than 540 members in 40 countries. The annual conference has been held since 1982, and typically draws more than 1,800 attendees.

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