FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 20, 2006
CONTACTS: Susan Miller
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smiller@hickmanassociates.com
Ryan Chelli, Grow Indiana Media Ventures
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rchelli@growindiana.net
INside Indiana Business and Networks Financial Institute Launch Financial Literacy Campaign
(April 20, 2006 – Indianapolis, IN) Inside Indiana Business and Networks Financial Institute at Indiana State University are partnering to launch a financial literacy campaign, MyCashCounts, to engage and educate Hoosiers about the need for financial literacy in Indiana. This statewide initiative will launch in April 2006 and run through April 2008.
The Indiana Financial Literacy Campaign will raise awareness of the issues impacting our State’s financial literacy, provide information to help people make better financial choices, and connect the public with resources to foster their personal finance knowledge. The campaign addresses a problem Indiana continues to struggle with, as the State transitions from a largely manufacturing and agricultural economic base to a more competitive global economy.
Indiana continues to lead the nation in home foreclosures; in fact the Indiana foreclosure rate is twice the national average. Bankruptcies are also among the highest in the nation with a 13.7% increase in bankruptcies in 2005 over 2004.
With support from the Lilly Endowment, Networks Financial Institute at Indiana State University was developed in 2003 to explore issues impacting the financial services industry, and financial literacy emerged as a top concern.
Networks Financial Institute partnered with Inside Indiana Business to develop a campaign that will address financial literacy issues in the workplace and at home. “As a media organization focused on Indiana, we are well-positioned to use a variety of communications and information services to engage the business, educational, and individual publics within the State,” said Gerry Dick, President of Grow Indiana Media Ventures, the parent company of Inside Indiana Business.
Campaign components will include public service announcements broadcast on television and radio, a series of full-screen graphics and articles communicating financial literacy statistics on the Inside Indiana Business Web Site, updates in the Inside Edge e-newsletter and interviews with financial literacy experts on the weekly “Inside Indiana Business with Gerry Dick” television program. A unique topic relevant to financial literacy will be introduced on a monthly basis.
Dr. Lloyd W. Benjamin III, President of Indiana State University noted that the campaign will contain components to engage a variety of ages within the population. “Content in the Indiana Financial Literacy Campaign will be appropriate for employees, parents, educators and even students. This holistic approach reflects that financial literacy is a lifelong process,” Dr. Benjamin said.
Beyond the media components of the Financial Literacy Campaign, Inside Indiana Business will also support various public outreach events.
“Improving financial literacy is not a one-time effort, but an ongoing educational commitment. We are privileged and thankful to Inside Indiana Business for lending their ongoing commitment to NFI’s financial education initiatives. This multi-phased approach will help individuals and their families improve their knowledge of personal finance over time,” said Liz Coit, executive director of Networks Financial Institute.
NFI strives to facilitate broad, collaborative thinking, dialogue and progress in the evolving financial services marketplace, concentrating on the areas of education, outreach and research. Headquartered in Indianapolis with offices in Washington, D.C. and on the campus of Indiana State, and with outreach internationally, NFI’s goal is to serve as a catalyst for change in the financial services industry.
About Grow Indiana Media Ventures
Created in 2000 by broadcast news veteran Gerry Dick and technology entrepreneur Scott Jones, Grow Indiana Media Ventures is a diverse media company focused on producing and distributing Indiana business news through multiple media channels. Grow Indiana Media Ventures properties include “Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick” television, InsideIndianaBusiness.com, Inside INdiana Business Radio, the INside Edge and INside Edge Morning Briefing e-newsletters, the Inside INdiana Business News Ticker, INsideTheShow.com, the Video Magazine, Grow Indiana Media Productions and “Inside Arizona Business with Dana Cooper” television.
For more information about the financial literacy campaign visit www.mycashcounts.org.
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