The Greater Washington Jump$tart Coalition works to help bring together the financial literacy community in the DC metro area. Organizations involved with the coalition serve a wide variety of audiences and financial education needs throughout northern and southern Maryland, the District of Columbia and northern Virginia. We work to connect these organizations and encourage strong collaboration for events, resources and ideas for the greatest possible impact on our students.
11 times a year, our coalition has in person and phone based meetings on various financial topics, products and services to keep financial service providers, volunteers, counselors and others up to date with the most recent financial education resources and changes in order to help them better serve their students and clients.
Our flagship event is called the Greater Washington JumpStart Coalition Reality Store, a live financial decision making workshop for middle and high school students. See our events page to find out more about the Reality Store.
Impact Data from past Reality Store Events:
- 86.1% of the students believe the Reality Store financial simulation increased their awareness of making smart financial decisions
- 84.3% of the students consider insurance and savings as strategies to help plan for emergencies
- 61.9% of the students experienced an increased awareness of budgeting money
- 57.32% of the students experienced an increased awareness of the value of higher education
- 53% of the students would create and follow a spending and savings plan once they were living on their own
- 51.8% of the students experienced an increased awareness of making wise financial choices
- 51.76% of the students experienced an increased awareness of making career choices