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Visa
WHAT WE DO: 
Visa is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, banks, and government in more than 170 countries, enabling them to use digital currency instead of cash and checks. Visa believes the most important financial tool is not a product–it is knowledge. That is why for more than a decade Visa has been developing financial literacy programs that teach individuals how to spend, save, and budget responsibly.
WHAT WE OFFER:
To help students–from preschoolers and elementary school students, to teens and college students–learn the essentials of personal finance, Visa created Practical Money Skills for Life, an educator-developed and educator-approved program that reaches millions of students across the nation. Practical Money Skills for Life offers both face-to-face and Web-based 'train the trainer' seminars for school districts, colleges and universities. At http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/ (available in English, Spanish and Chinese), educators, parents and students can access free educational resources including:
- useful personal finance information on a variety of topics
- lesson plans and games
- calculators
- research
- a monthly newsletter with 60,000 subscribers
As part of the Practical Money Skills for Life program, Visa has created a sports-themed video game to get young people engaged and excited about their financial futures. NFL Financial Football (www.practicalmoneyskills.com/football) is a computer-based game accompanied by a classroom curriculum. The content includes lessons taught through Practical Money Skills for Life and since 2006, Visa has reached agreements with 25 states to distribute NFL Financial Football to every high school in those states (nearly 12,000 schools). Visa has also teamed up with the NFL and NFL PLAYERS to promote financial literacy in high schools nationwide by bringing NFL players into the classroom to play NFL Financial Football with students.
Visa also runs What's My Score, a leading higher education consumer awareness program. Available for free at http://www.whatsmyscore.org/, What's My Score guides college students and young adults through the ABC's of credit scores, from factors that can lower a score to ways on improving it, at no charge.
WHAT'S NEW:
- In recent months, Visa expanded upon its Corporate Responsibility Program that focuses on inclusive economic growth and self-sufficiency. Improving financial literacy on a global level is an integral piece of this program. To that end, Visa has made the commitment to reach 20 million people globally with financial education by 2013.
- Building on the success of NFL Financial Football, FIFA Financial Soccer (http://www.financialsoccer.com/) was developed to harness the popularity of the world's most popular sport with a fast-paced, FIFA World Cup-themed, educational, computer-based video game. FIFA Financial Soccer is being rolled out in over a dozen countries in advance of the 2010 World Cup and is a multi-lingual game that entertains while it teaches the fundamentals of finance.
- The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute has joined Visa to make FIFA Financial Soccer a part of their Ready to Lead program, a national leadership program for Hispanic youth. A kickoff event with Members of Congress was held in October 2009 and additional events with Members of Congress will be held throughout the country in 2010.
WHAT WE NEED:
With a variety of free materials, Visa's financial education programs are easily accessible. The challenge however, is making relevant audiences aware that these materials are available and that those individuals should take advantage of this valuable information. Visa is always looking to develop relationships with consumer-focused organizations which, like Visa, are committed to improving financial literacy broadly.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
More information on Visa's financial education programs is available at http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/ and http://www.whatsmyscore.org/. A special Web page has been set up for partners to easily utilize and integrate Visa's content into their own activities at: www.practicalmoneyskills.com/orders. For general information on Visa Inc., visit http://www.visa.com/.
Jason Alderman
Director of Financial Education
Visa Inc.
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