August updates from WA Financial Education Network
Greetings Washington Financial Education Network Partners!
Happy almost end of August (though it feels more like April today!) - we hope you're enjoying the summer and staying safe!
We have a few updates from partners today, one in particular has an immediate (today) deadline.
Jump$tart National Educator Conference Teacher Scholarship Applications Due Today!
All teachers interested in attending the 2021 Jump$tart National Educator Conference must apply for a scholarship (or must have received one from one of our participating Partners or State Coalitions). The scholarship application period runs through Aug. 20, 2021.
Scholarship Criteria Scholarship Application
Teachers, sponsors, speakers, exhibitors, and other supporters of financial education will gather in November for the 12th annual Jump$tart National Educator Conference at the historic Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC, to “return, reset, and recommit” to financial education in the classroom.
The Jump$tart National Educator Conference aligns with the Coalition’s three strategic pillars: communication, collaboration, and support for effectiveness in financial education. The conference also supports the goals of Project Groundswell and #CheckYourSchool, Jump$tart’s campaign to increase and improve financial education in elementary, middle, and high schools across the country.
For teachers, the Jump$tart National Educator Conference remains an all-scholarship event. Through the generosity of our scholarship providers and other donors, teacher participants are provided full conference registration, two hotel nights, and six conference meals.
Your Jump$tart Washington Coalition will sponsor two educators in addition to the two educators Jump$tart National will sponsor, and J$WA will pay for travel expenses (coach flights and travel to/from hotel to/from airport) for all four educators selected from Washington. If you have questions, contact current Jump$tart Washington President Lyn Peters at lyn.peters@dfi.wa.gov.
Get ready for the 2021 Bank on Washington Forum, Oct. 19-20
Washington State's Bank On program - aimed to help connect unbanked and underbanked residents with no- or low-cost accounts at banks and credit unions throughout the state - is preparing for another fabulous annual forum. This year's forum will be conducted online once more - as surges in COVID cases courtesy of the Delta variant make this the safest options for everyone. The line up for the forum, though still being finalized, is shaping up to be quite an event you wont' want to miss!
2021-BOWA-Forum-Sneak-Peak.pdf (bankonwashington.org)
If you're not familiar with Bank On Washington, you can learn more here. It's a great program, working in tandem with local Bank On programs to help Washington residents obtain safe, no- or low-cost financial solutions.
Block off the dates now and get ready to hear some amazing speakers
Help make Washington's Profile of a Graduate!
The Washington State Board of Education is currently looking for feedback about what skills Washington graduates need to thrive after high school. Your feedback could help shape the Washington State Profile of a Graduate - a vision for all students in our state.
Register for the Sep. 8 listening session (on Zoom) or take a brief survey any time before Sept. 10.
Examples from other states: "Designing solutions" and "expressing ideas" are just some of the skills highlighted in South Carolina's Profile of Graduate. “Technical knowledge (content knowledge)” and “productive workplace skills” are featured in Virginia’s. Wyoming’s graduates must be “curious, kind, and ready to work hard to make their community a better place.”
Profile of a Graduate Survey (alchemer.com)
If you have questions about this work, please contact Alissa Muller, Director of the Mastery-based Learning Collaborative.
The Financial Empowerment Network has a number of workshops you may be interested in. Click on the links to register.
Financial Empowerment Virtual Learning Series
Credit as an Asset: Affordable Credit Building Opportunities in the Community
Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021 from 10 to 11 a.m. Pacific
Join Becky House with American Financial Solutions, and Emerson Sekins and Ellie Vainker from NW Access Fund to learn about affordable and accessible opportunities to build credit currently offered in their organizations.
You will learn more about eligibility, how to refer your clients, and what it takes to run these programs!
Are you helping your clients build credit? What other credit-building products have you seen work well? Come ready to share and discuss with the community.
American Financial Solutions Save2Build credit-builder loan: This innovative program allows clients to borrow $300. The borrowed funds are not distributed directly to the client as they would with a traditional loan. Instead, they are deposited into a locked savings account. The client makes small monthly installment payments through their plan over a year. Each monthly payment made toward the loan is reported to the credit reporting agencies, reflecting positively on their credit report and potentially raising their credit score. At the end of the loan term, the funds are returned to the client, providing an instant savings cushion that the client can use to build their savings over time or continue building their credit.
NW Access Fund Opportunity Loan: This loan program was developed in response to the disability community's need for an affordable credit product that can promote access to independence, financial stability, or life opportunities. Some common loan purposes are for moving costs, security rental deposits, and car repairs. To qualify for our Opportunity Loan a person with a disability needs to participate in financial coaching; loan amounts are up to $2,500 with terms up to 36-month at 5% interest with no additional fees. All of our loans are reported to all three major credit bureaus.
BankOn Washington Coffee Hour
Legal Financial Obligations: What You Need to Know and Current Reform Efforts
Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021 from 10 to 11 a.m. Pacific
Join Nick Allen with Columbia Legal Services to learn more about legal financial obligations (LFOs) – debts imposed by the courts on people who are convicted of crimes in Washington State. LFOs have been identified as a major barrier to successful reentry for people with criminal convictions. Nick will provide an overview of the law on LFOs and why they are a barrier to successful reentry, how individuals may be able to obtain relief from LFOs, and recent legislative efforts to reform Washington’s LFO scheme. Our morning Coffee Hour discussion will focus on legal financial obligations:
Barriers to accessing mainstream financial products and services
Organizations who can assist
Legislative updates and reform efforts
Nick Allen is the deputy director of advocacy at Columbia Legal Services (CLS), a statewide non-profit civil legal aid provider. Nick started at CLS in as an Equal Justice Works fellow working on issues addressing criminal debt in Washington state. At CLS, he primarily engages in systemic advocacy focused on ending mass incarceration in Washington, including class action litigation and policy advocacy on behalf of people in prisons and jails. Nick is a graduate of Seattle University School of Law. Convened by the Financial Empowerment Network (FEN), Bank On Washington is dedicated to helping improve the financial stability of the unbanked and underbanked residents of our community by connecting them to safe and affordable mainstream accounts in banks and credit unions, raising public awareness of these efforts and opportunities, and otherwise expanding access to financial education and other financial empowerment opportunities.
Financial Empowerment Virtual Learning Series
Child Tax Credits + Updates on 2021 Free Tax Preparation
Thursday, Sept. 30, from 10 to 11 a.m. Pacific
Could your clients use an extra $250-$300 each month? Are you confused about how to help them access the Advanced Child Tax Credits? Are you confused about your own eligibility for this new tax credit? Do you have clients that missed filing their 2020 taxes? Join Terrence Cabiao, Program Coordinator with United Way of King County as he explains their program, who is eligible, and how folks access the money they are entitled to! We will also talk about the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), provide updates on the 2021 free tax preparation program, and have a Q&A session – bring your tax questions!
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