The Garrison Financial Institute Presented Investor Education Programs to Pre-College Students During Summer 2008

I-CAMP

I-CAMP is a one week program for 6th and 7th grade students from gifted and talented programs across Arkansas.  Institute staff presented an investor education presentation designed to introduce these young students to investing.  Topics include: (1) compound interest and how it can work for you through savings, or against you by accumulating consumer debt; (2) explaining stocks and bonds; (3) risk and expected returns; (4) planning to reach financial goals; and (5) saving for college.  This program was held from June 24th to the 27th

Summer Institute for Gifted and Talented Scholars

The Summer Institute for Gifted and Talented Scholars is a three-week intensive program for 7th to 9th grade students from middle schools in Arkansas.  Institute staff taught students the essentials of personal finance and the basics of investing.  Students  learned about compound interest, the time value of money, the use of credit, and a basic introduction to intermediate to long-term investing utilizing bonds, mutual funds, and stocks.  Instructional activities included: (1) interpreting real-time financial news from CNBC, Bloomberg, and other sources; (2) construction of simulated investment portfolios, and assessing portfolio performance over the duration of the program; (3) using the internet to access investment information such as corporate annual reports, prospectuses for mutual funds and dividend reinvestment plans, and treasury direct for low-cost T-bills, notes and bonds.  The program was held from July 7th to the 26th. 

College Residential Institute

The College Residential Institute is a month-long program, developed by the Office of Pre-College Programs at the University of Arkansas,  for rising 9th grade students from the Kauffman Scholars program in Kansas City and the KIPP Delta College Preparatory School in Helena, Arkansas. The program combines academic engagement and recreational activities to acquaint these young students with authentic campus life at the University of Arkansas.   During the summer of 2008, the College Residential Institute hosted approximately 35 KIPP Delta College Preparatory School students and 100 Kauffman Scholars.

The KIPP Delta College Preparatory School was established in 2002 as an academically intensive charter school to meet the educational needs and aspirations of the Arkansas Delta community, a region where only 12% of adults graduate from college.  Ninety-seven percent of the KIPP students are African American and more than 85% are eligible for the federal free and reduced-priced meals program.  To learn more about KIPP Delta College Preparatory School visit their website at http://www.deltacollegeprep.org/
Kauffman Scholars, Inc. is a comprehensive, multi-year program designed to significantly increase the number of low-income, urban students who become college graduates.  To support students’ progress toward college, the Kauffman program provides tutoring, the support of life coaches, and payment of college tuition for each student who graduates from high school.  All Kauffman Scholar participants either qualify for the federal free lunch program or attend a Kansas City area school in which a majority of the students qualify for free lunch.  Approximately 85% of Kauffman Scholars are African American or Hispanic. To learn more about Kauffman Scholars, Inc. visit their website at http://www.kauffmanscholars.org/

To introduce these young scholars to investing, Garrison Financial Institute staff  presented an interactive-investor-education program. The program was presented in our new, state-of-the-art Global Financial Markets Center. Topics covered  included: (1) compound interest and how it can work for you through savings, or against you by accumulating consumer debt; (2) explaining stocks and bonds; (3) risk and expected returns; (4) planning to reach financial goals; and (5) saving for college.  A test, we administer as an internet-based survey, was administered at the beginning and end of each session to measure student progress.  The College Residential Institute was held from July 8th to the 31st.   The Garrison Financial Institute presented eight 3-hour investor education programs to an estimated total of 135 KIPP and Kauffman Scholars.

Participation by the Garrison Financial Institute in the College Residential Institute is made possible in part by a grant from the Investor Protection Trust (IPT).  The IPT is a nonprofit organization devoted to investor education.  Since 1993 the IPT has worked with the States to provide the independent, objective investor education needed by all Americans to make informed investment decisions.  To learn more about Investor Protection Trust visit their website at http://www.investorprotection.org/