Team Award Winners for 2008

Congratulations to the Money Crunch Extension Educational Team!

Team members include: Dena Wise, Ann Berry, Beth Bell, Rita Casey, Amy Elizer, Jane Gault, April Martin, Sunny Rae Moorehead, Betty Neilson, Mary Kate Ridgeway, Christopher Sneed, and Patricia Whitaker

The project delivered worksite financial and investment education to young employees, age 18-24, in Florida, Kansas, Kentucky and Tennessee. It engaged local Extension educators and employers in program delivery. Secondary objectives were to develop a program model appropriate for delivery of worksite education, and to strengthen the capacity of local educators to implement the model. Strategic partnerships included, at the national level, project program cooperation among four state universities and the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) of the US Department of Agriculture, and at the local levels, government, military, education and community organizations as well as private businesses.

The main issue addressed was the capability of successive generations of employees to accumulate and protect wealth over their working lives, as this is critical to their prospects for living out retirement in comfort and dignity.

Goals of the program included:

*To motivate and help young working adults to gain investment skills and plan for a secure financial future through retirement

*To strengthen the capacity of Extension and other educators to effectively work with employers and employees to implement investment education at the work site.

Participant post-program impacts include: 76 percent better understood how they might need to change asset allocation across the lifecycle. 59 percent better understood how to reduce risk by diversifying assets. 64 percent better understood the difference between pre-tax and after-tax investments. 63 percent better understood the savings and retirement plan options available through employers. 72 percent could better identify appropriate savings and investment options for different financial goals. 57 percent could better identify costs associated with different savings options. 54 percent could better identify different financial professionals with their preparation and qualifications.

To see the entire Money Crunch Team report, click here.

Honorable Mention

goes to the following Extension Team members who also applied for the team award:

Arthritis Self-Help Course Team: Janie Pedigo Monday, Kelli Bottoms, and Bobbi Clarke

Central Region Green Team: Michael Smith, Wendel Smith, Bob Ary, Karla Kean, Sierra Ham, and Anthony Tuggle

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