Governor Tim Pawlenty has proclaimed the month of April as "Youth Financial Literacy" month in the state of Minnesota.
A group called the Minnesota Jump$tart Coalition is using the month to offer dozens of workshops aimed at making kids and teens money smart.
Wednesday morning on KARE First Edition, Kristina Wright with Minnesota Jump$tart Coalition discussed programs that are available for people of all ages.
The Minnesota Jump$tart Coalition includes individual participants as well as representatives from government agencies, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. The organizations work together to improve the personal financial literacy of Minnesota's youth.
According to Wright, with the rising amount of debt and personal bankruptcies in this country, it's easy to see that far too many people are lacking even a basic financial education.
Schools that offer these types of elective classes teach students how to create a budget, invest for the future, use credit cards wisely, and a lot of other fundamental skills that are truly necessary.
Wright says it's a common misconception that financial education is taught in the home, but if parents aren't well-versed in the basics, you can't expect their kids to be either.
There are places families can turn for help. Wright recommends atteneding financial literacy classes at the local libraries. Those classes are applicable to children, teens and their parents.
Sessions will talk about the importance of saving, investing and using credit wisely. And specifically for parents, how to raise your children to be financially-successful.
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