November 15, 2011

Event Kicks-off Financial Football

State Treasurer Andy Dillon and Detroit Lion’s All Pro Defensive Tackle Ndamukong Suh took to the virtual gridiron at Detroit’s Renaissance High School today, joining the Michigan Jump$tart Coalition and Visa Inc. in announcing the statewide rollout of a new program designed to improve money management skills of high school and middle school students around the state.

Financial Football is a free, educational video game, complete with classroom curriculum. The game is being distributed to every public middle and high school across Michigan and is also available at www.michigan.financialfootball.com. Through Financial Football, students answer questions related to personal finances, with correct answers advancing their “football” down the field.

“One of the most important steps school teachers, administrators, community leaders and State Treasurers can take, is to better prepare Michigan’s young people for the  many financial decisions they will be making through their lifetimes,” said State Treasurer Dillon. “Financial Football is a great way to get students interested in personal finance and gives them a financial playbook they can use the rest of their lives.”

After unveiling Financial Football, Treasurer Dillon and Ndamukong Suh coached teams of students in a morning scrimmage. Joining in were Roy Roberts, Emergency Manager for Detroit Public Schools, Lois Gibbons, Chair of the Michigan Jump$tart Coalition, and Jason Alderman, from Visa, which developed the Financial Football program in conjunction with the National Football League.

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