FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, Jan. 19, 2006
Contact: Dave Wellman, Director of Communications (304) 696-7153
 

Marshall University receives grant to help student-parents

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall University’s Child Development Academy and  Lewis College of Business-Division of Finance have received a $15,000 grant to facilitate a program aimed at helping students who are the parents of young children develop basic financial skills.

A check was presented today from the Citigroup Foundation/Smith Barney Local Contributions Program to Marshall University President Stephen J. Kopp in a brief ceremony at the Child Development Academy.

The project funded by the grant will use The Stock Market Game – a computer-simulated investment of $100,000 in the stock market – to teach responsible use of financial resources.

“Financial guidance and assistance is one of the needs we saw in our population,” Susan Miller, director of the Child Development Academy, said. “Seventy-two percent of our children have a parent who is a Marshall University student. This funding will help the parents develop skills in handling their money.”

The grant will provide funding for 14 teams which will consist of a student, an academy staff member and a financial mentor. The teams will then compete using the stock market game which teaches responsible use of financial resources.   The financial mentors will be undergraduate or graduate students in finance or economics and/or local business people.      

For more information, persons may contact Miller at (304) 696-5803.

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