IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Calling all Chicago Public School K-8 Librarians!

Dear CPS Librarian or School Designate:

The Department of Libraries and Information Services is again working with City Treasurer's office and Money Savvy Generation on a financial literacy project to be delivered to students during Money Smart Week, April 17-24, 2010. This program, one to two class sessions in length, is for all school children enrolled in K-8th grade schools including those enrolled in Special Education and E.S.L. programs. This program opportunity is being offered to all schools that currently have a librarian staffed in the library program or a designate; enrollment and participation is voluntary.

Please click here to register for this initiative.

Registration is first come, first served, and quantities of materials are limited.

Note: On the registration site you will be asked for your area number, mail run and unit number. If you don't know each of these numbers for your particular school, please look up the information for your school in the CPS School Directory.

Program Description:

This year you will receive brand new Money Savvy Generation solutions for K - 8 students. If you participated last year, this is an additional opportunity to make a huge difference in your students' lives!

For K - 4 students:

During the month of April, librarians will be supplied with a tool kit that will include a downloadable, fully scripted money lesson that will allow you to teach students (and their parents/guardians) about the four choices they have for money - save, spend, donate and invest - and how to set short and long-term goals. This short lesson will not only teach about smart money choices, but will also teach how to delay gratification by learning how to set goals for those money choices.

To facilitate this lesson, each tool kit will include copies of a new "Money Savvy Coloring & Activity Book" - so that each student will have a copy to keep and take home to read with their parents or guardians. In addition, each child will receive a special surprise gift for participating.

The program also includes a chance to win a Money Savvy Pig, a special four-chambered piggy bank that will help students remember to save, spend, donate and invest. Your tool kit will include one Money Savvy Pig per classroom. In the activity book, you will find a special activity for the parent/guardian. This activity asks the student's parent or guardian to set a short and long term goal for themselves - just as their child did in class. Students' are encouraged to share their goals with their parents to help parents do the same. Each student that returns the parent-completed short and long-term goal setting activity will be eligible to participate in a drawing for the Money Savvy Pig bank.

For 5th - 8th grade students:

Librarians will be supplied with a tool kit that includes two downloadable, fully scripted money lessons and activity sheets that will allow you to introduce students (and their parents/guardians) to the concepts of budgeting, saving, checking, wise use of credit and other forms of electronic money. During the month of April, librarians can easily teach these lessons during one or two library class periods.

To facilitate these lessons, each tool kit will include copies of a "Money Savvy Activity Guide" so that each student will have a copy to keep and take home to use - and a CardGuard with Purchase Tracker to reinforce the lessons taught about proper debit, credit and gift card use.