The ASPIRA Association and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation Partner with National Media Groups to Launch "ASPIRA y Aprende a Invertir," a Latino Community Wealth Development Campaign

WASHINGTON, June 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The ASPIRA Association and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, along with media partners, today launched a national communications campaign titled "ASPIRA y Aprende a Invertir" targeted to the Latino community to promote the importance of investing.

"This initiative builds on the rich bilingual educational resources already available on aspira.org, which ASPIRA has developed with support from the FINRA Investor Education Foundation in order to help Latinos make better and more informed financial investments decisions," indicated Ronald Blackburn-Moreno, President and CEO of the ASPIRA Association. John Gannon, President of the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, commented that "our foundation has recently made a significant grant to the ASPIRA Association to develop a highly innovative communications model that will deliver integrated messages via television, radio, print media and the Internet." These messages, on the importance of investing for a better future, will be targeted to communities with high concentrations of Latinos throughout the continental U.S. and Puerto Rico. In addition, ASPIRA and the FINRA Foundation will make educational materials available to a significant number of Hispanic-serving community-based organizations, faith-based organizations and public libraries.

"This program builds on ASPIRA's community wealth development initiative, ASPIRA's national reach and its access to youth and adults in Hispanic communities," said John Villamil-Casanova, ASPIRA's Executive Vice President and campaign manager. ASPIRA's partnership with the media and communications outlets, such as Univision Communications Inc.'s "Es El Momento" (The Moment Is Now) education initiative, the Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network (HITN), SBS Radio Network, Clear Channel radio stations, Cadena Azul, El Nuevo Dia newspaper and the National Association of Hispanic Publications, among many other TV and radio stations across the nation, will increase the Hispanic community's awareness of the importance of investing to reach both individual and family financial goals. Jose L. Rodriguez, President and CEO of HITN, expressed their organization's commitment to support this initiative. According to Rodriguez, "‛ASPIRA y Aprende a Invertir' is an excellent initiative that aligns closely with HITN's goals to provide an array of educational multi-platform resources that will provide the necessary tools for Latinos to progress and advance in American society. HITN's viewers will be able to take advantage of these valuable and accessible investing resources through our national television network, online and HITN's Community Connect platform."

"The fact that the campaign messages are in Spanish will be of great impact in our community," commented Julie Stav, a national financial education expert, a best-selling book author and an integral member of Univision Network's collaborators. A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report titled Consumer Finance: Factors Affecting the Financial Literacy of Individuals with Limited English Proficiency indicated that: "According to Census data, more than 12 million adults in the United States report they do not speak English well or at all. Proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and understanding the English language appears to be linked to multiple dimensions of adult life in the United States, including financial literacy – the ability to make informed judgments and take effective actions regarding the current and future use and management of money."

Commenting on the "ASPIRA y Aprende a Invertir" campaign, Univision Networks President Cesar Conde said, "At Univision, our mission is to entertain, inform and empower our community, which is why we recognize the value and importance of this multi-faceted effort. Our partnership with ASPIRA extends ‛Es El Momento,' our multi-year effort aimed at improving academic achievement among K-12 Hispanic students with a specific focus on increasing rates of high school graduation, college readiness, college completion and engaging Hispanic parents and the broader community in these efforts."

Outtakes from the multi-media campaign, produced by HITN and Cultural Communications, debuted at a news conference at the National Press Club. For more details on the campaign, including access to the investment curriculum, articles and videos, please visit www.aspira.org.

The ASPIRA Association promotes the empowerment of the Puerto Rican and Latino community by developing and nurturing the leadership, intellectual and cultural potential of its youth so that they may contribute their skills and dedication to the fullest development of the Puerto Rican and Latino community everywhere. The ASPIRA Association operates national model programs, provides technical assistance to the states offices and serves as the national voice for the Association. More information at www.aspira.org.

The FINRA Investor Education Foundation supports innovative research and educational projects that give underserved Americans the knowledge, skills and tools necessary for financial success throughout life. For details about grant programs and other FINRA Foundation initiatives, visit www.finrafoundation.org.

SOURCE ASPIRA Association