PORTLAND, Ore., February 28, 2011—Financial Beginnings, a Portland-based nonprofit that provides financial education at no cost to children and young adults throughout the Pacific Northwest, recently announced that it reached over 9,000 students in 2010—teaching them the basics of banking, budgeting, the power of credit, and sound investing. This is a 1000% increase in students from when the nonprofit began in 2005. Financial Beginnings also delivered education programs to over 80 schools in Oregon and Washington in 2010.

Over the past year, Financial Beginnings, along with its curriculum committee, continually worked to refine and supplement its core curriculum in order to ensure that programs included the latest credit and consumer legislation, as well as evolving best-practices. As a result, the committee added a fifth subject to its curriculum for 2011, entrepreneurship, which will teach students about business ownership and management.

Throughout 2010, Financial Beginnings also worked to formalize many of the partnerships that allow them to expand reach and maximize resources. Through collaboration with Operation HOPE, Financial Beginnings will now provide high school and young adult education while Operation HOPE serves elementary and middle schools students.

Additionally, Financial Beginnings worked to develop a comprehensive financial literacy program for Mayor Sam Adams’ Youth Connect summer program for at-risk youth, and partnered with the State Treasurer’s office and the Oregon College Savings Plan to offer the Reading is an Investment program.

In the spring of 2011, Financial Beginnings will officially launch its Teacher Training program. The first of its kind in the Northwest, the program is in direct response to the growing demand from schools for Financial Beginnings’ programs. The curriculum will provide teachers with the information and resources to teach financial literacy in the classroom as either a formal program or as short lesson that could be integrated into existing math, economics or social studies curriculum.

About Financial Beginnings
Formed in 2005 and based in Portland, OR, Financial Beginnings is a nonprofit organization that provides multi-session courses, free of charge, to students and young adults throughout the Pacific Northwest through visits to their individual schools or community groups. The courses incorporate all aspects of personal finance to provide individuals the foundation needed to make informed financial decisions. More information is available at www.financialbeginnings.org.