#
Financial Education
Knowledge is your greatest asset. SM
#

     Printer Friendly Page
 
 #
Highlights
Citigroup Financial Education Program
 
June 2004 Event Highlights
 
NATIONAL
 
Academy of Finance
  • June 7th in Los Angeles, Citigroup’s businesses in California, which include Smith Barney, Citibank and Primerica, announced that the Citigroup Foundation has made a total of $26,500 in grants to four local Academy of Finance programs in nine Southern California high schools.
     
  • The Academy of Finance program gives students nationwide the opportunity to learn about and prepare for careers in the financial services industry through a high school partnership linking the resources of business, education, government and community. AOF students take specialized business courses and gain exposure to the industry through guest speakers, field trips to local companies, mentoring experience, and a paid summer internship.
African American Heritage Festival
  • June 18th - 20th in Baltimore, Citigroup was one of the top corporate sponsors of the African American Heritage Festival. Citigroup’s tent had Financial Education handouts as well as the Citigroup Money Game.
Financial Education Training
 
Financial Services Volunteer Corps
  • June 8th in New York City, three GCB Senior Credit (Risk) Managers instructed 19 Russian and Ukranian bankers at the International House, as part of the Bank Management Training and Internship Program sponsored by Financial Services Volunteer Corps. Presentations covered credit policy and procedures, internal controls, credit and business decisions, internal audit function and compliance procedures.
Six Stops on the Six
  • June 11th in Harlem, 35 Global Consumer Investment Bank IT analysts and four coordinators from the 2003 training program taught financial education lessons at PS 180 in Harlem, organized by Six Stops on the Six, a non-profit organization of New York City private school parents who volunteer to tutor public elementary school children in reading and writing at some of the city's most under-served public schools.
     
  • Twenty analysts taught the Citigroup curriculum in 10 classrooms of first- to fourth-grade students, with a total of about 220 students. Sixteen members of the group painted the school’s fence and moved furniture. The volunteers in the classrooms joined in the painting and heavy work after the lessons were completed.
INTERNATIONAL
 
The Big Tick Standard
  • June 10th in London, Citigroup was one of 101 companies awarded the “Big Tick” standard. The “Big Tick” is given to companies that demonstrate a high standard of excellence in the way they organize and integrate their responsible business practices and which demonstrate a positive impact on both society and on the business.
     
  • The national announcement naming the “Big Tick” companies was published in The Financial Times. Citigroup was awarded the standard for its work with the UK Career Academy Foundation.
     
  • The UK Career Academy Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides young people between the ages of 16 and 18 with the curriculum and guidance necessary to build rewarding careers and fulfilling lives. The “Career Academies” are schools within schools that combine a rigorous business curriculum for students with paid summer internships at supporting companies and one-to-one business mentoring.
Junior Achievement Italy
  • June 8th in Milan, Citigroup was one of three sponsors of Junior Achievement Italy’s first national event – the Company Program, a national competition to choose the top JA Italy Company for 2004. In the program, students organized and operated actual business enterprises during the school year with the support and guidance of volunteer consultants from the local business community.
     
  • At the Milan Stock Exchange, Luca Toniutti, CCO of Citigroup in Italy and Chairman of JA Italy, and Massimo Capuano, CEO of the Italian Stock Exchange, presented awards to the winning company.
     
  • The 80 participants in the final event - and the 10 companies they created - came from 8 different regions throughout Italy and were chosen from the 800 high school students involved in the first Italian edition of “Impresa in azione” (JA’s renowned Company Program).
     
  • In early 2003, Junior Achievement, the worlds largest non-profit organization focused on enterprise education with a presence in over 100 countries, began operating in Italy, thanks largely to Citigroup’s help. Since that time, their programs have reached over 3,000 students.
Junior Achievement’S Banks in Action Competition
  • June 11th in Bogota, ten schools competed in the first semifinal of the Banks in Action competition. The event was held at Citibank Colombia’s main offices.
     
  • Banks in Action teaches high school students about the principles of the banking industry. Using computer simulation, teams of students make decisions to attract deposits and borrowers, set interest rates, and invest in marketing and R&D to reduce operational costs. The winning team with the highest profits and return on investment for their shareholders represents Colombia at the Banks in Action Regional Competition during the 2003-04 school year.
     
  • Citibank volunteers provided background on the banking industry to enable students to make sound decisions and also supported JA's personal finance, entrepreneurship and international trade programs that develop students' understanding of business, the economy and personal financial management.
     
  • A Citigroup Foundation grant of $35,000, made in November 2003, supported the expansion of Junior Achievement's full range of economic and financial education programs to more than 2,000 students in elementary and secondary schools in Bogota, and to implement the Banks in Action Program in Cali and Medelin, where Citibank has branches.
Use Credit Wisely Press Launch in the Philippines
  • June 15th in Makati City, Nina Aguas, Citibank Country Business Manager for Global Consumer Banking, addressed reporters from 20 news organizations to announce the launch of the Use Credit Wisely website. Aguas discussed Citibank's commitment to empowering Filipino consumers and to educating them about using their credit wisely.
     
  • A video of Citibank customers sharing their positive credit card experiences and discussing their spending power and increased flexibility in managing their finances was shown. Laptops were placed on every table so guests could browse the site.
     
  • The website is a comprehensive reference guide on credit management and it represents the first major initiative of a credit card issuer in the country towards educating the consumer.
La Florida Project in Chile
  • June 16th in Santiago, Citigroup and Fundacion La Fuente announced the La Fuente- Citigroup Financial Literacy Program. Fundacion La Fuente is a non-profit organization that implements educational and cultural programs in schools, libraries and community organizations for children and adults living in low-income communities. The announcement was made in Biblioteca Viva, a public library in the La Florida borough, a low-income sector.
     
  • Designed to provide basic financial tools, evening classes were taught by Citibank volunteers, trained monitors and Fundacion La Fuente employees.
     
  • Attendees included: Citibank Chile CCO Joao Miranda, the Citigroup Community Committee, Pablo Zalaquett, Mayor of La Florida, Veronica Abud, Fundacion La Fuente Chairman, the La Florida Management Committee, Fundacion La Fuente Board and students from the program.
Junior Achievement Uruguay
  • June 12th and 13th in Montevideo, Citibank participated in Junior Achievement’s Young Entrepreneurs Competition. Four Citibank employee volunteers served as senior advisers to the schools presenting “companies” for the competition.
Junior Achievement Guatemala
  • June 19th in Guatemala City, Citibank employees began participating in a Financial Education Tutoring Program. Employee volunteers will teach local 8th, 9th and 10th grade students for one hour per week for 10-13 weeks.
Junior Achievement Egypt
  • June 20th in Cairo, Citigroup, in conjunction with Save the Children and MobiNil, announced the successful completion of the first year of the “Injaz” curriculum, aimed at developing the life skills of young people prior to entering the work force. Sixteen volunteers from MobiNil and Citigroup joined forces to deliver the curriculum to 320 students in three primary schools.
     
  • Injaz, the local name for Junior Achievement Egypt, teaches students about their environment and basic economic principles. The program culminates with students creating and managing a small entrepreneurial project. Volunteers from the private sector teach lessons designed to develop thought processes, problem solving capabilities and the life and work skills necessary to prepare students for entry into the work force.
     
  • In Egypt, Injaz is funded by a 2003 grant from the Citigroup Foundation and Exxon Mobil. Save the Children teamed up with a local non-government organization Hawaa El Mustaqbal to receive permission from the Ministry of Education and the Governor of Giza to allow the training.
Citibank Academy
  • June 21st in Dubai, UAE Citibank announced the launch of the Citibank Academy, an intensive three month training program for 70 UAE high school and university students in the fields of banking, finance, credit, leadership, sales, teamwork, management and customer service.
     
  • Citibank employees delivered classes and served as mentors to the students throughout the program. The Citibank Academy will certify students who meet the qualification criteria and upon graduation, they will receive offers of employment from the bank.
     
  • Rajeev Kakar, Regional Head for Citibank’s Consumer Bank in Turkey, the Middle East and Africa, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Awar, Director General of The National Human Resource Development & Employment Authority.