Spent a great morning and afternoon with eight Allstate agents including my fraternity brother, Glenn Doughtery at TSS 1st Annual Financial Literacy Day at the new campus of the University of Chicago Charter School on the south side of Chicago, Illinois. The campus was a few miles away from The University of Chicago and former President Barack and Michelle Obama’s Chicago residence. What a day we had talking with young African American 10th and 11th graders on financial literacy and the importance of handling credit.
The project was a labor of love between four Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity brothers who are all graduates of Bradley University, Iota Kappa Chapter in Peoria, Illinois. I was one of the four and the others that participated were Glenn Doughtery, Ronald Lewis, and Todd Barnett. Todd was our host for the day and we talked with over 20 students who were eager to learn and participate. Todd is the Director of Partnerships, Family and Community Engagement of the U of Chicago Charter School.
He and I planned this day for about 2 months and the Allstate Foundation was our fiscal sponsor for this day. This is the 2nd event utilizing support from the Allstate Foundation’s “Helping Hands” granting program. Glenn is an Allstate owner of multiple agencies and took the lead on getting funding for the event. The agents lead the discussion of how money and credit affects them from high school to college and beyond. It was emphasized to the students to try their best not to get credit cards when they are in college because it is a trap. Some of the agents shared their story of how they mishandled their credit and it cost them for years after graduating from college.
It was inspirational for the students to see successful adults who looked like them come in and “drop some knowledge.” The students asked some very insightful questions about:
- Careers in the insurance industry
- How to invest in the stock market
- How to buy real estate
- What made the agents successful.
The Street Smarts will return in the fall to launch a financial literacy program for the school sponsored by Charles Schwab called “Money matters”. TSS will also be starting a Finance Academy for students who are interested in learning about careers in Finance and Accounting.
About University of Chicago Charter School:
The UChicago Charter School was founded on the belief that all students are capable of achieving academic excellence and realizing their highest potential through ambitious instruction and strong support networks. At the heart of the UChicago Charter School’s model are ambitious learning goals for students.
About The Allstate Foundation:
Established in 1952, The Allstate Foundation is an independent, charitable organization made possible by subsidiaries of The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL). Through partnerships with nonprofit organizations across the country, The Allstate Foundation brings the relationships, reputation and resources of Allstate to support innovative and lasting solutions that enhance people’s well-being and prosperity. With a focus on building financial independence for domestic violence survivors, empowering youth and celebrating the charitable community involvement of Allstate agency owners and employees, The Allstate Foundation works to bring out the good in people’s lives. For more information, visit www.AllstateFoundation.org
