Financial Literacy
Improving the Financial Literacy of Californians
Contributed by CalCPA
Thanks to members like you, our success with California libraries continues to grow! More and more libraries are signing up for one or more financial literacy workshops for their patrons. Newest to the game: Burlingame library has signed up for a four-part series to take place in September; Santa Clara is scheduled for a workshop in November and Redondo library has begun coordination for their workshops.
Why the success? First, libraries have free presentation space that can accommodate a good sized crowdand have the ability to show PowerPoints and DVDs. Second, libraries have a built-in audience, so they are not solely reliant on the marketing they do with the community to bring a crowd. And finally, most libraries have a need to supply the community with workshops and services, but do not have the money to pay for services and materials. Because Dollars & Sense is free, it is a perfect fit.
Thus far, these presentation requests have resulted solely by word of mouth. One way is through members and staff approaching their local libraries, and telling them about the program … that’s it! If this is something you would be interested in bringing to your community, please visit your local library and tell them all about the D&S workshops.
More information, including content for all workshops, is available on CalCPA’s website.
View Comments | Link/Bookmark/Share
Contributed by CalCPA
Start Here, Go Places, the AICPA’s interactive website created to inform students and educators about the range and breadth of an accounting career, has unveiled new simulated career paths, job shadowing opportunities and scholarship searches, among other offerings.
The redesigned site encourages students to envision being employed as a CPA. One of the new features is a section called Meet Real Life CPAs. Its purpose is to gain an understanding that accounting is about people. Featured in this section are two CalCPA members: Dan Dehner, senior consultant at Durkin Forensic in Los Angeles, and Victor Molokwu, president of Victor Molokwu CPA in San Diego. CalCPA CEO Loretta Doon will soon be featured on the site as well.
Additional new features include:
• “FutureMe,” a potential customizable career path for students to view what their model career would look like;
• CPA Profile, which outlines the numerous career paths available to an accounting graduate;
• Job shadowing opportunities for students to spend a day at work with a CPA;
• Scholarship searches by state; and
• A special educator forum.
The site was launched in 2001 and has received 11 awards from the International Association of Business Communicators, American Society of Association Executives and other sponsoring organizations. Since 2006, the site has had more than 600,000 visitors from 211 countries.
View Comments | Link/Bookmark/Share
Contributed by CalCPA
FDIC Chair Sheila Bair recently reflected on the critical role that financial education plays in helping consumers protect themselves from bad loans, fraud and other troubles. In a June 17 speech at the Operation Hope Global Financial Literacy Summit in Washington, DC, Bair offered her vision for using financial education early and often in the future.
“It’s absolutely essential that people of all ages—and I mean all ages, starting in kindergarten—to learn financial basics so they can make prudent financial decisions,” she said.
Read the full text of the speech.
View Comments | Link/Bookmark/Share
Contributed by CalCPA
The AICPA’s 2009 Trends in the Supply of Accounting Graduates and the Demand for Public Accounting Recruits study shows that the number of students that graduated with accounting degrees in the 2007-08 school year surpassed the previous year’s record level. More than 66,000 achieved bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting—3.5 percent higher than in 2006-07. Enrollments in undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs in 2007-08 achieved a 4.7 percent boost over the previous year, with an aggregate total of 213,000 students.
This represents the largest number of graduates since 1972, the year the AICPA began tracking the data. Although the hiring of new graduates has declined overall as a result of the weakened economy, midsize/large regional firms (50–200 CPAs) did report an increase in recruiting new accountants.
As more young adults choose accounting as their career pathway, the level of individual financial literacy—and what will be given back to the community—increases. With the student outreach initiatives touching high school and college audiences, as well as incorporating college students interested in accounting, we can plant the seed of giving back and the importance of financial literacy in the ever-growing populous of our next generation’s accountants. This is one step closer to a more financially empowered California.
View Comments | Link/Bookmark/Share
Contributed by CalCPA
CalCPA would like to welcome and congratulate Bruce Kajiwara of the Sacramento Chapter as the 2009-10 CalCPA Financial Literacy Committee chair. Kajiwara has shown great dedication to the financial literacy initiative over the years, including spearheading an annual series of D&S workshops at UC Davis, maintaining a relationship with West Campus High School in Sacramento and being the first to offer his services whenever a financial literacy opportunity appears. His enthusiasm and passion for financial literacy inspire those around him and we look forward to seeing what the next year has in store.
View Comments | Link/Bookmark/Share
Contributed by CalCPA
CalCPA Institute is beefing up its college outreach. The goal is to increase college career visits, as well incorporate financial literacy components, which will strengthen the profession and increase the financial literacy of our brightest up and comers. With a new exciting partnership on the horizon, as well as increased focus of our existing efforts, the 2009-10 school year should prove to be a very strong year—and we need your help.
The most powerful way to gain access to more schools and get in front of more students is through personal educator contacts. If you have a contact at a community college or university, please extend an e-mail or phone call to see if there is any interest in a CalCPA careers visit, careers workshop or financial literacy presentation. The contact does not have to be an accounting educator, though that is a great place to start.
If you are interested in additional information, or have any interested educators, contact Crystil Turner, CalCPA’s community outreach manager via e-mail or at (650) 802-2494.
View Comments | Link/Bookmark/Share
Contributed by CalCPA
This 45-minute webcast, which is accessible at anytime, provides an overview of CalCPA Institute’s various financial literacy programs, as well as resources and materials that are available to members. The archive is located on the Community Outreach Page and can be accessed directly at Financial Literacy Resources Overview Webcast.
View Comments | Link/Bookmark/Share
Contributed by CalCPA
How have you been involved with financial literacy recently? Submit your recent financial literacy activities to Crystil Turner via e-mail, call (650) 802-2494 or leave a comment here!
To unsubscribe to CalCPA Financial Literacy BUZZ, e-mail Crystil Turner or call (800) 922-2494.
View Comments | Link/Bookmark/Share
Contributed by CalCPA
Subscribe to CalCPA Institute’s award-winning Financial Empowerment podcasts online.
View Comments | Link/Bookmark/Share
Contributed by CalCPA
Eager and dedicated volunteers quickly fill most of our financial literacy opportunities. So why not create your own opportunities? Contact your local community center, church or synagogue, Kiwanis Club, community college campus, library or state legislator.
When creating an opportunity of your own, please notify Crystil Turner to be supplied with materials to complement your presentation and so CalCPA to keep track of all the wonderful things our members are doing for their communities.
View Comments | Link/Bookmark/Share
