New Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council Accepts 2018 DollarWise Grant
City of Akron Press Release
From the desk of Annie McFadden
Published: 09-19-2018
City representatives were joined by the Manager of the Mayors for Financial Literacy program, an initiative of the United States Conference of Mayors, to celebrate the award of the 2018 Dollarwise Grant to the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council (formerly "Akron Peacemakers") in support of teen financial literacy.
The DollarWise program is dedicated to the idea that all Americans can benefit from increased access to financial education. As individuals become more financially literate, they become better prepared to build stable families, to help themselves and their children gain education, to be productive members of the workforce, and to contribute to their communities.
An on-going youth-led financial literacy program will be available for Akron high school students through the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council (MYLC). This innovative financial literacy program, funded by the DollarWise grant, will empower students to become financial literacy educators to their peers through scheduled workshops. Up to 24 student and 10 adult facilitators will assist in delivering the program. Both the teen facilitators and attendees can potentially win a $500 scholarship for their participation. The Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council’s work on teen financial literacy is sponsored and supported by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Bank of America, Akron Public Schools, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, H &R Block, Huntington Bank, Akron Summit County Public Library and the United Way of Summit County.
Mayor Dan Horrigan adds that this work aligns with current City initiatives around adult financial literacy. He states, "This program perfectly complements the work the City is already doing to financially empower Akron residents. With the opening of our first Financial Empowerment Center in the Kenmore neighborhood this year, we have begun to target working adults that need assistance with budgeting, managing debt and increasing savings. This DollarWise grant allows us to now also target our youth, to better equip our young residents with the financial competency to transition to the responsibilities of adulthood."
The newly reconstituted Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council will provide Akron’s youth with a forum to become "champions for change" and a voice in city government. To learn more about MYLC, visit mylcakron.org. To apply to join the MYLC, visit governmentjobs.com/careers/akron. Deadline for students to apply is October 19th.
For further information, contact:
Annie McFadden
Deputy Chief of Staff
Phone: 330-375-2754
E-mail: [email protected]
