Jump$tart Coalition to Honor Sen. Tim Scott for Leadership in Financial Literacy
The Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy today announced it will honor U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) with its Federal Leadership Award for his work in advancing financial literacy.
The award will be presented at Jump$tart’s 2018 Annual Awards Dinner, which recognizes accomplishments of individuals and organizations that are working to create a financially literate future. The event takes place April 10 at the JW Marriott Washington, DC and is a central event during Jump$tart’s Financial Literacy Month (#FLM18) celebrations. (More information at jumpstart.org/awards18)
“Sen. Scott is being honored as a champion of underserved communities and a proponent of financial education as a key component to addressing long-term challenges faced by American families,” said Jump$tart Chairman Mike Staten.
As a co-chair of the Senate Financial and Economic Literacy Caucus, Sen. Scott (full bio) has also co-sponsored the Senate Resolution declaring April as national Financial Literacy Month for the past several years. In 2016, he was the featured speaker at Financial Literacy Day on Capitol Hill, where he shared his personal story about growing up in poverty in a single-parent home – watching his mother work 16-hour days as a nurse to provide for him and his brother. It’s this background that drives him to ensure every American family has the opportunity to succeed. It’s also this background that he brings to his service on the Senate Finance Committee as well as the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.
“It is an incredible honor to receive this award, and I also want to acknowledge the great work Jump Start does to help our students understand and appreciate the fundamentals of financial literacy,” said Scott. “As someone who grew up in poverty, I have been blessed with the ability to see how financial security can translate into long-term success, and I am passionate about sharing lessons learned with our youth and young adults.”
This year, the coalition also will honor U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH-3) and will present its State Coalition of the Year, Innovation Award and the William E. Odom Visionary Leadership Award. (Related release.)
Hill Day
Sens. Scott and Jack Reed (D-RI) are the honorary co-hosts of Financial Literacy Day on Capitol Hill (Hill Day) on Thursday, April 12 from noon to 3 p.m. in the Hart Senate Office Building room 902. Rep. Beatty and other dignitaries also have been invited to speak. The Hill Day event, which is free and open to the public, begins with a buffet lunch at noon and features exhibits by more than 50 organizations – from the business, finance, nonprofit, association, government and academic sectors – that will gather to illustrate the importance of financial literacy.
Financial Literacy Month
As the original promoter of April as Financial Literacy Month, Jump$tart Coalition will once again champion a month-long campaign to raise public awareness about the importance of financial literacy and the need for financial education; encouraging collaboration and acknowledging the many and diverse contributions its partners have made—and continue to make—to the field. National Financial Literacy Month, sometimes referred to as National Financial Capability Month, is marked by local, regional and national events and initiatives.
Federal Leadership Award
The award was introduced in 2004 as the Federal Legislator Award to recognize current members of the U.S. Congress who demonstrated support for financial education and youth financial literacy. In 2010, the award was renamed the Federal Leadership Award to include non-elected leaders of the federal government. Recent past winners were:
- 2017 – U.S. Rep. Terri A. Sewell (D-AL-7)
- 2016 – FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg
- 2015 – U.S. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI)
- 2014 – CFPB Director Richard Cordray
- 2014 – U.S. Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH-15)
- 2013 – U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC)
- 2012 – U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY-4)
- 2011 – Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben S. Bernanke
- 2010 – FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair
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About Jump$tart: The Jump$tart Coalition is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit organization that seeks to improve the personal financial literacy of students in pre-kindergarten through college. Jump$tart’s nearly 150 national partners and 51 affiliated state coalitions work individually and collectively to educate and prepare our nation’s youth for life-long financial success. Jump$tart is the original promoter of April as Financial Literacy Month and publishers of the National Standards in K-12 Personal Finance Education. For more information about the Jump$tart Coalition, go to jumpstart.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
