NCFL's financial literacy app wins international award

News provided by

National Center for Families Learning

Apr 02, 2015, 08:00 ET

LOUISVILLE, Ky., April 2, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Renegade Buggies, a financial literacy app developed by the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) , in partnership with the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, was named the Instructional Game of the Year by the Institute for Financial Literacy today.

"Renegade Buggies competed with games from around the globe," said John Linfield, president of the Institute for Financial Literacy, which provides financial education, counseling and information to nearly 500,000 consumers and is a national authority on adult financial education. "NCFL's game engages parents and children in a joint-learning process, reinforcing money-saving tips that parents may or may not know while instilling the value of fiscal responsibility in children from a young age."

Renegade Buggies combines basic budgeting and money management practices with entertaining gameplay. The app is made available by NCFL with funding from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, a longtime partner in providing families with resources to learn together regardless of the parents' educational or economic background. Renowned educational game developer FableVision adapted NCFL's concept into the game.

It is available for free download in iTunes and Google Play.

"Renegade Buggies utilizes technology and fun to teach important financial concepts," said Emily Kirkpatrick, vice president of NCFL. "Receiving the honor of Instructional Game of the Year acknowledges NCFL's pioneering spirit and tremendous partnership with Dollar General Literacy Foundation. Together, we are paving novel ways for parents and children to learn simultaneously."

Players of Renegade Buggies have a simple goal of steering their buggy (shopping cart) down the street and collect money and items while dodging obstacles. Once enough items are collected, players hit the checkout phase and are challenged to make quick budget-saving decisions.

Coaching is provided through pop-up messages based on users' purchasing choices. Users are congratulated when their selection saves the most money and are notified when an opportunity for greater savings is missed.

"We are proud to partner with NCFL to expand Dollar General's commitment to literacy through their vision for creating new opportunities for parents and children to learn real-world financial concepts through technology," said Denine Torr, Dollar General's director of community initiatives. "On behalf of our partnership, we thank the Institute for Financial Literacy for this incredible honor and recognition."

About the National Center for Families Learning
The National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping adults and children learn together. NCFL creates and deploys innovative programs and strategies that support learning, literacy, and family engagement in education. From the classroom to the community to the digital frontier, NCFL collaborates with educators, advocates, and policy-makers to help families construct hotspots for learning wherever they go. For more information on NCFL's 25-year track record, visit www.familieslearning.org.

About the Dollar General Literacy Foundation
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation is proud to support initiatives that help others improve their lives through literacy and education as part of the company's mission of Serving Others for over 20 years. Since its inception in 1993, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded more than $97 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 5.8 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy or continued education. For more information about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation and its grant programs, visit www.dgliteracy.org.

SOURCE National Center for Families Learning