Ten U.S. Teens Win 2008 National Financial Literacy Challenge Scholarship Awards from Charles Schwab Foundation

Teens win awards and are recognized by the President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy

Washington, DC · June 18, 2008 /PRNewswire/–

What:

Ten high school students were honored last night in Washington, D.C., at the National Financial Literacy Challenge Scholarship Awards Banquet, sponsored by Charles Schwab Foundation. The 10 winning teens each achieved a perfect score of 100 percent on the inaugural National Financial Literacy Challenge, a voluntary online test of personal finance knowledge, sponsored by the Department of the U.S. Treasury. The attending Award winners, who came from all over the country, were also recognized by the President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy at its meeting this morning at the Department of the U.S. Treasury.

In addition to the all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. for the winners and two guests each, winners will receive a $2,500 scholarship for use at the college or university of their choice. An additional $1,000 contribution in each of the winners' names will be made to the high schools or programs that provided their personal finance education, funded by Charles Schwab Foundation.

Who:

The 2008 National Financial Literacy Challenge Award winners:

Tucker Johnson, Old Rochester Regional High School, Mattapoisett, Mass.
Jennifer Fisher, Eureka High School, Eureka, Mo.
Dennis Saneski, Columbia High School, East Greenbush, N.Y.
Olivia Moran, Stonewall Jackson High School, Manassas, Va.
Justin Fager, Wauseon High School, Wauseon, Ohio
Daniel Weyers, Stevens Point Area Senior High School, Stevens Point, Wisc.
Thabo Abbate, J.P. Taravella High School, Coral Springs, Fla.
Nicholas Bruno, Homeschooled, Richmond, Texas
Bret Wilkins, Rampart High School, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Alex Oswalt, Mira Loma High School, Sacramento, Calif.

Other attendees included:

Dan Iannicola, Jr., U.S. Department of Treasury deputy assistant secretary for financial education and the executive director of the President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy
The members of the President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy, including Council Chairman Charles R. Schwab and Vice Chairman John Hope Bryant
Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, president of Charles Schwab Foundation

Why:

The goal of the National Financial Literacy Challenge is to bring attention to the need for more financial education and to encourage educators and parents to bring the lessons of personal finance into their classrooms and homes.

The 46,000 teens across the U.S. who took the 35-question online test turned in an average score of only 56 percent. The amazing teens who won the awards and the teachers who enrolled them in the Challenge have the ability to inspire others in their communities with the message that learning about smart money management is cool. They deserve to be recognized for their outstanding accomplishment.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS AND HARD COPY B-ROLL AVAILABLE: Images include the teens receiving their awards, as well as a variety of individual and group shots from the awards ceremony and visits on Capitol Hill and at the Department of Treasury. For additional photos or hard copy b-roll, contact Katie Peterson at (310) 659-5380.