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Success Stories:
The Maine Economic Classroom
The main goal of the Maine E-conomic Classroom financial literacy series was to provide Maine high schools with direct access to high quality programs delivered by financial industry practitioners, regulators, and educators.
The information was presented in a factual and unbiased format in an effort to improve the knowledge and decision making skills of young adults as they prepare to fully enter into both the Maine and national economies. Combined with existing instruction at the high school level, Maine E-conomic Classroom strives to make Maine students the most financially literate in the nation. Sound personal money management skills will lead directly to higher levels of savings/investing, home ownership, improved credit ratings, and a stronger Maine economy.
(see photograph right: from l-r, Robert Mitchell, Governor John Baldacci, and David Leach).
The Maine E-conomic Classroom series began with a broadcast on September 9th, 2003 at 9:00 AM. Session One was entitled: "Welcome - The Importance of Economic Education" and was facilitated by David Leach, of the Maine Office of Consumer Credit Regulation and Robert Mitchell, President of the Maine Council on Economic Education. This initial session was designed to introduce students to the series, provide an overview of the program and provide "real life" scenarios on how making the "right" financial decisions can greatly improve the quality of a person's economic life. Young adults face many daunting challenges and financial success as an adult is a direct result of the hard work, knowledge, and informed decision that are made when they are young. Whether a person creates a personal environment that focuses on the attainment of financial security, or continually suffers with overspending and delinquent credit - ultimately is the responsibility of the individual. The Maine E-conomic Classroom series however will help provide the necessary financial knowledge and expertise for young adults to plan and manage their economic futures.
These sessions were provided in a BROADCAST fashion to interested sites via the distance learning (ATM) system with interaction to occur with the Cross building IP phone at (21100).
Overview of program and schedule. Print: MS Word | PDF
Presenters:
David Leach
David Leach is an employee of the Maine Office of Consumer Credit Regulation, an agency within the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation. During his fifteen year career in Maine State Government, Leach has made over 800 in-person presentations to Maine High schools, middle schools, universities, business groups, correctional facilities, and consumer conferences. During his prior tenure at the Maine Bureau of Banking, Leach authored and produced a series of booklets and videos on consumer banking issues. Mr. Leach is a graduate of he University of Maine with an undergraduate degree in Public Management and a Master of Public Administration (MPA). Leach is also employed as an adjunct professor in the banking program at the University of Maine at Augusta.
Robert Mitchell
Robert Mitchell is President of the Maine Council on Economic Education, with 27 years of experience, and is State Leader of the Jump-start Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy. He is a former high school teacher and has degrees from Merrimack College and the University of Maine. He has also been a faculty member at the University of Maine, the University of Southern Maine, The John Carroll University and Northeastern University. Bob has worked extensively with schools throughout Maine, and nationally, and has developed an entrepreneurship education project in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Schedule:
The Maine E-conomic Classroom - Session Schedule for - 03-04 School Year
Session One: Welcome: Importance of E-conomic Education
09/09/03
Session Two: Checking Account Management
09/23/03
Session Three: Personal Money Management/Budgeting
10/14/03
Session Four: Investment Options/Strategies
10/28/03
Session Five: Consumer Protection Regulations (Federal & State)
11/04/03
Session Six: Consumerism in America – Mass Marketing and You
11/18/03
Session Seven: Credit Cards. . . .Proper Use. . .Abuse. . . Solicitations
12/09/03
Session Eight: Credit Reports and Credit Histories
12/16/03
Session Nine: Your Rights in a Debt Collection Situation
01/13/04
Session Ten: Pre-President’s Day Auto Primer I (Car Buying Made Easy)
01/27/04
Session Eleven: Pre-President’s Day Auto Primer II (Car Financing)
02/10/04
Session Twelve: Auto, Health & other Insurance Products
02/24/04
Session Thirteen: Filing Taxes at the State and Federal Levels
03/09/04
Session Fourteen: Educational Loans for Post-Secondary Students
03/23/04
Session Fifteen: Buying Your First Home
04/13/04
Session Sixteen: Avoiding Frauds and Scams (Telephone, Mail & Internet)
04/27/04
Session Seventeen: Becoming a Business Entrepreneur/Goal Setting
05/11/04
Session Eighteen: Program Summary (Special Guest)
05/25/04
Presentation times are 9:00 – 10:00 am, originating from Room 103A of the Governor Cross State Office Building in Augusta, Maine. Sessions five and sixteen will be produced in conjunction with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston at a location to be determined later.
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