/PRNewswire/ -- For the second time in four months, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is mobilizing nearly 600 interns to teach financial literacy to thousands of youths nationwide. The effort, which will occur through a series of events in major U.S. cities, expands PwC's support of financial literacy empowerment nonprofit Operation HOPE and reflects the firm's continued commitment to youth education.

PwC takes a lifelong learning approach to education, supporting children at all phases of their educational journey. The firm develops a range of programs and collaborates with nonprofits such as HOPE with the overall goal of enabling people to develop and refresh the skills needed for today's high-skilled service jobs.

PricewaterhouseCoopers' summer interns are participating in the effort as part of their PwC Intern Experience. The PwC Intern Experience is designed to provide the firm's interns a true sense of the fabric and culture of the firm, including a greater understanding and appreciation of PwC's commitment to corporate responsibility - and specifically to supporting youth education. The interns are able to make a lasting impact by helping students gain important life-long skills, while simultaneously developing their own leadership abilities. A number of intern participants will be blogging about their HOPE experience on the nonprofit's Blog.

PricewaterhouseCoopers' latest round of support follows a previous effort last March when it engaged 525 winter interns to teach financial literacy to children across the country. Collectively, more than 7,000 students will be assisted through PwC's support and the efforts of the firm's interns. PwC's involvement will help HOPE continue its FIVE MILLION KIDS (5MK) initiative, a five-year campaign designed to break the rate of the high school dropout epidemic by showing youth how to prosper in life. The program combines an understanding of the 'language of money' and entrepreneurship with education. Contributions from PwC, as well as from other public and private sector organizations, are an important factor in the success of 5MK.

"At PwC, we believe education is the foundation for leadership and talent development," says Shannon Schuyler, corporate responsibility leader, PricewaterhouseCoopers. "It is the key to creating opportunities and providing prosperity. Furthermore, by participating in Operation HOPE, our interns not only teach vitally important skills, but they also develop their own leadership abilities and see how meaningful their actions and collective team efforts are to our communities."

"Operation HOPE's 5MK Initiative is focused on showing children and parents in our communities how financial literacy and economic empowerment can help them achieve their life aspirations," adds Jonathan McCoy, 5MK Program Manager. "The fine people at PwC have joined with us to inspire and equip thousands of students with tools to own their futures."

Throughout the initiative, PwC is utilizing HOPE's award-winning financial literacy program, Banking on Our Future (BOOF). BOOF has educated close to 500,000 students globally since its inception in 1996. The curriculum includes: A Course in Dignity, The Basics of Banking, Checking & Savings Accounts, Credit and Investments.

Events have started and are expected to continue throughout the summer in cities including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Minneapolis, New York, Oakland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Portland.

About PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers (www.pwc.com) provides industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to build public trust and enhance value for its clients and their stakeholders. More than 163,000 people in 151 countries across our network share their thinking, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice. "PricewaterhouseCoopers" refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP or, as the context requires, the PricewaterhouseCoopers global network or other member firms of the network, each of which is a separate and independent legal entity.

About Operation HOPE, Inc.
Operation HOPE is America's leading nonprofit social investment banking and financial literacy empowerment organization. With more than 400 private sector partners, 1500 nonprofit organizations and schools, and 100 government partners in 70 major U.S. cities as well as South Africa, HOPE has raised more than $500 million in its pursuit of educating, assisting and inspiring the next generation of global stakeholders. Through international initiatives and its three principal programs, Banking on Our Future (teaching school children about money), HOPE Coalition America (Mortgage HOPE Crisis Hotline, 1-888-388-HOPE, financial emergency preparedness and disaster relief), and Walk-In HOPE Centers (loans, computer literacy, understanding banking principles), Operation HOPE has delivered services to more than one million low-wealth individuals and assumed the responsibility of piloting the Silver Rights Movement towards making free enterprise and capitalism relevant to all underserved communities. To learn more about HOPE, visit www.operationhope.org.

Operation HOPE, Inc.

Operation HOPE, Inc.

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