St. Louis Fed Joins UMSL, Local Financial Institution Volunteers To Help ''Teach Children To Save

ST. LOUIS – More than 7,400 elementary school students across the St. Louis region learned the importance of saving their money as part of this year’s “Teach Children to Save Day,” with the help of volunteers from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the University of Missouri-St. Louis and area financial institutions.

First, second and third grade classrooms from 149 elementary schools in the St. Louis area participated in this year’s event in late April. “Teach Children To Save” is an annual national initiative that brings together government entities, educators and financial institutions to teach elementary school students the importance of saving money and establishing good personal finance habits early. 

More than 275 volunteers spread out across the St. Louis region to teach the fun, 45-minute-long lessons about income, savings, and how to create savings plans to reach personal financial goals. Each student received a coloring book filled with additional savings tips, as well as a piggy bank — an important first step in saving for the future.

“Economic education programs like ‘Teach Children To Save Day’ help students learn the importance of saving for their personal welfare,” said Mary Suiter, economic education manager for the St. Louis Fed. “Saving is essential to economic growth.”  

In addition to participating in “Teach Children To Save Day,” the St. Louis Fed provides an extensive variety of economic education programs and curricula, ranging from the elementary school level to high school and beyond, for schools and teachers to use in their classrooms.

“Economic education gives students the building blocks for a successful financial future,” Suiter added.

To learn more about the St. Louis Fed’s economic education resources and programs, please visit http://www.stlouisfed.org/education_resources/

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With branches in Little Rock, Louisville and Memphis, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis serves the Eighth Federal Reserve District, which includes all of Arkansas, eastern Missouri, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, western Kentucky, western Tennessee and northern Mississippi. The St. Louis Fed is one of 12 regional Reserve banks that, along with the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C., comprise the Federal Reserve System. As the nation's central bank, the Federal Reserve System formulates U.S. monetary policy, regulates state-chartered member banks and bank holding companies, provides payment services to financial institutions and the U.S. government, and promotes community development and financial education.