ABA Foundation Partners with First Book to Launch New Book Award Program

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Bankers Association Foundation has partnered with First Book, a nonprofit social enterprise that promotes educational equality by providing books and educational resources to children in need,  to launch its new ABA Foundation Book Award Program. The ABA Foundation Book Award Program will provide an avenue for banks to donate financial education-related books as a part of their money skills presentations to classrooms across the country. 

Participating banks will be connected with First Book with the opportunity to select financial-education related book titles based on the reading level and size of the classroom they will be presenting to. First Book will also assist banks in establishing connections with local underresourced schools.

"The lack of access to books and educational resources is a major issue facing low-income communities," said Corey Carlisle, ABA Foundation executive director. "The Book Award Program addresses that problem head-on and provides banks with an opportunity to truly put the 'literacy' in financial literacy."

"Children learn to read then read to learn. Through this partnership with the ABA Foundation and banks across the country, we will help kids become strong readers and smart money managers," said Kyle Zimmer, First Book president and CEO. "Acquiring both skills at a young age has lifelong benefits, and we're thrilled to work with the ABA Foundation to make that possible."

The Book Award Program will serve as a supplement to the ABA Foundation's financial education campaigns, including Teach Children to Save and Get Smart About Credit, which encourage bankers to teach money skills lessons to local students. The ABA Foundation anticipates the Book Award Program will provide over 20,000 students with money-centric books in its first year.

The ABA Foundation is offering a free informational webinar for interested bankers on Thursday, Jan. 21 at 3 p.m. ET and will provide registrants with real-time customer support and program materials.

Bankers interested in participating can learn more at aba.com/bookaward. Registered banks will be featured on a list of participating banks on the ABA Foundation's website. Since 1997, the ABA Foundation's financial education programs have reached over 7.6 million young people with the help of more than 225,000 banker volunteers.

The American Bankers Association is the voice of the nation's $16 trillion banking industry, which is composed of small, regional and large banks that together employ more than 2 million people, safeguard $12 trillion in deposits and extend more than $8 trillion in loans.

Through its leadership, partnerships, and national programs, ABA's Community Engagement Foundation (dba ABA Foundation), a 501(c)3, helps bankers provide financial education to individuals at every age, elevate issues around affordable housing and community development, and achieve corporate social responsibility objectives to improve the well-being of their customers and their communities.

About First Book
First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise that has distributed more than 135 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families throughout the United States and Canada. By making new, high-quality books and educational resources available on an ongoing basis, First Book is transforming the lives of children in need and elevating the quality of education. For more information, please visit firstbook.org or follow the latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

ABA Media Contact:
Blair Bernstein
[email protected], 202-663-5468

First Book Media Contact:
Julia Hornaday
[email protected], 202-639-0114

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101214/DC17316LOGO-b

SOURCE First Book

Related Links

http://www.firstbook.org