Visa Canada and Plan Canada team up to provide financial literacy education tools to girls

TORONTO, Oct. 11, 2012 /CNW/ - Returning as a sponsor for the second year, Visa Canada is pleased to support Plan Canada's "Because I am a Girl" initiative with the distribution of financial educational tools and resources aimed at increasing financial literacy amongst girls across Canada.

After Plan Canada's successful Because I am a Girl initiative in 2011 - created to help empower and educate Canadian girls, the United Nations declared October 11, 2012, the first ever International Day of the Girl, in order to create a foundation to advocate for and focus on recognizing the importance of girls' education worldwide.

As a valued supporter, Visa remains committed to working with Plan Canada to improve financial education amongst girls in Canada, demonstrating the fundamental importance of being financially responsible. In year one of its involvement with Plan Canada, Visa reached approximately 5,000 students across 360 schools with its financial literacy curriculum - a number Visa hopes to see grow exponentially through initiatives throughout the year.

"Visa maintains a long standing commitment to supporting financial literacy in Canada, conducting year-round activities designed to empower and educate Canadians of all ages," said Melissa Cassar, head of corporate and public affairs, Visa Canada. "We are proud of our financial literacy programs, particularly the Because I am a Girl initiative, because it allows girls to acquire important money management skills that they can use throughout their entire lives."

"Plan Canada is pleased to be working with Visa as an official sponsor of the Because I am a Girl initiative again this year," said Leanne Nicolle, Director, Community Engagement, Plan Canada. "Visa's learning module, Choices and Decisions, helps teach young people the essentials of personal finance, and it is an invaluable tool for students across Canada."

Visa feels strongly that students should graduate from high school with a strong foundation in money management, and not be left to learn necessary financial skills through trial and error. To help educate youth on the essentials of personal finance, Visa also created www.PracticalMoneySkills.ca, which provides free financial education resources for children, parents and educators.

About Visa

Visa is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable digital currency. Underpinning digital currency is one of the world's most advanced processing networks—VisaNet—that is capable of handling more than 20,000 transaction messages a second, with fraud protection for consumers and guaranteed payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa's innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: pay now with debit, ahead of time with prepaid or later with credit products. For more information, visit www.corporate.visa.com.

About Plan Canada and the 'Because I am a Girl' Initiative

Founded in 1937, Plan is one of the world's oldest and largest international development agencies, working in partnership with millions of people around the world to end global poverty. Not for profit, independent and inclusive of all faiths and cultures, Plan has only one agenda: to improve the lives of children. Because I am a Girl is Plan's global initiative to end gender inequality, promote girls' rights and lift millions of girls - and everyone around them - out of poverty. Visit www.plancanada.ca and www.becauseiamagirl.ca for more information.

SOURCE: VISA Canada Corporation