Business people and high school teachers alike recognize the importance of helping students to become financially literate. Because schools are facing unprecedented budgetary challenges, The Actuarial Foundation (TAF) has created a program that allows individual actuaries and companies to easily donate needed financial literacy materials directly to the teachers who want them.

The Actuarial Foundation recently released Building Your Future (BYF), a new financial literacy curriculum covering essential financial topics in a clear and engaging way. TAF celebrated the release of these materials earlier this year by sending 2,000 free sets of the materials to teachers who requested them; its new "Quench the Thirst" giving campaign focuses on harnessing the interest and commitment of actuarial professionals to ensure that additional teachers can take advantage of this resource.

For teachers who would like to receive a donated set of Building Your Future:
Teachers interested in receiving a classroom set may sign up by sending their name, school name and address, email address to programs@actfnd.org. Note that this program is open to high school teachers only, and that registering is no guarantee of receiving materials; it simply allows interested donors to find you through The Actuarial Foundation’s giving campaign.


For actuaries or others who would like to donate materials to one or more schools:
Visit www.actuarialfoundation.org and look for the "Quench the Thirst" graphic at the bottom right of the home page. Note that you may donate to one school or to several, and that you may be anonymous if you wish.

About the Materials
At a time of widespread economic turmoil and financial challenges, it is important to give students the knowledge and skills needed to manage money wisely and to make smart decisions for the future. Building Your Future helps teachers do just that, providing accessible content and multiple real-world examples and practice opportunities. The curriculum addresses the following subjects:

• Book One: Banking covers savings accounts, checking accounts, credit cards, and taxes


• Book Two: Financing includes loans and interest, home loans, auto loans and insurance


• Book Three: Investing covers bonds, stocks, mutual funds, risk and diversification and inflation

Building Your Future helps students easily grasp the essentials of personal finance, gives them multiple opportunities to practice core skills and showcases the real-world impact of the financial decisions they make. Each chapter is classroom-ready with a Teacher's Guide that provides handouts and answer keys, instruction and assessment suggestions, definitions and additional resources and aligns to national mathematics and personal financial education standards.

According to Eileen Streu, executive director of The Actuarial Foundation, "It is so important to prepare teens for life on their own, after high school, and financial literacy is a critical part of that equation. If they are given the opportunity to master the basics of personal finance, they'll be equipped to move towards a financially secure future, avoiding so many of the problems that would otherwise hold them back. The actuaries and companies behind our Foundation are excited to make Building Your Future available to educators who share our interest in giving every student that opportunity."

Note that these materials can also be downloaded at no cost by visiting www.actuarialfoundation.org/programs/youth/BuildingYourFuture.shtml. You may also order printed booklets at a nominal cost.

About The Actuarial Foundation:
The Actuarial Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, was established in 1994 to help facilitate and broaden the actuarial profession's contribution to society. The Foundation explores innovative ways to apply actuarial skills in the public interest and brings together partnerships of individuals and organizations to address social problems in creative ways. The Actuarial Foundation's mission is to develop, fund and execute education programs that serve the public.

The Actuarial Foundation

The Actuarial Foundation

The Actuarial Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, was established in 1994 to help facilitate and broaden the actuarial profession’s contribution to society. The Foundation explores innovative ways to apply actuarial skills in the public interest and brings together partnerships of individuals and organizations to address social problems in creative ways. The Actuarial Foundation’s mission is to develop, fund and execute education programs that serve the public.

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