Spotlight

Corporate Partner Fidelity Investments provides funding to bring Girls Inc. Economic Literacy® programs to schools and regional girls’ centers.

She’s On the Money!sm and Dollars, Sense and Mesm, are two components of the Girls Inc. Economic Literacy® program being presented to girls in middle schools throughout southern New Hampshire with funding from Fidelity Investments’ New Hampshire Regional Center in Merrimack. A unique Corporate Partnership between Girls Incorporated of New Hampshire and Fidelity Investments supports Girls Inc.  Economic Literacy outreach programs in schools and also supports the program in regional Girls’ Centers in Manchester, Nashua, Concord and Rochester.

Fidelity Investments associates visit the classes, participate in the curriculum with the instructors, and share their expertise by answering girls’ questions about financial topics and careers. During one classroom visit, the girls and Fidelity associates enjoyed discussing stocks and bonds and joined in an activity with a coin toss that illustrated the risk associated with investing in the stock market.   The girls enjoy the visits of the Fidelity “celebrities” very much, as well as the “goody bags” each girl receives for participating in the program. Each bag contains a “cool” Economic Literacy t-shirt and other items such as a Fidelity calculator or bubble pen! During the years of our partnership, Fidelity Investments and Girls Inc. of New Hampshire have provided Girls Inc. Economic Literacy programs to over 1,500 girls - at our 4 regional girls’ centers, one community center and 10 different schools in the communities of Manchester, Nashua, Concord, Rochester, Raymond, Derry and Stratham. Fidelity Cares volunteers have also been involved outside of the classroom in other ways such as serving on an Advocacy Council, providing gifts for girls at the holidays, volunteering at our annual Girl of The Year celebrations and volunteering at fundraising events. They’ve even taken a group of girls to a Nashua Pride baseball game where one of the girls got to throw out the first pitch!

“Fidelity Investments has shown strong support of our programs for a number of years. Initially, they provided funding to enhance our marketing materials. The company then became our first Corporate Partner when the program was launched nearly 5 years ago. Their support has allowed us to reach hundreds of girls in New Hampshire schools and communities. Fidelity Investments provides a perfect example of how corporations and non-profits can work together to enhance the lives of children and their families. Through the example of this successful partnership with Fidelity, we have been able to secure the support of other Corporate Partners.” -Catherine Duffy Cullity, CEO, Girls Incorporated

The Girls Inc. Economic Literacy program enhances girls’ financial competence and confidence, empowers girls to recognize early on that they can exercise control over their financial future, and promotes, within girls, a sense of economic justice. The program, presented in age-appropriate components, fosters the development of skills that girls need to make informed decisions.

“Girls Inc. of New Hampshire has done a terrific job with this program by delivering critically important financial education to NH students. Through classes at schools and at Girls Inc. centers in New Hampshire, Fidelity Investments has been proud to provide expert educators to interact with the girls and offer valuable lessons about how to earn, save, and spend wisely.” -Alison Stebbins/Fidelity Investments General Manager
Testimonials from our instructors and the girls participating in the current classes give some insight into what the Fidelity Corporate Partnership and Girls Inc. Economic Literacy offers to girls.

Instructor: “The girls love to talk about their own experiences with money, like what they do at home for their allowance and what they spend their earned money on. Candy bars are a big favorite for the younger girls (most would like to buy a puppy or kitten but can't afford it) and some of the older girls tell me they save their money for more expensive things like iPods. I asked the girls for some feedback about the program today here is some of what they said:”
"I like the activity where we put our needs and wants on the board.  I like how we got to get up and do something rather than just listen like we do in other classes" -Brianna

"I was in a bad mood in Language Arts today and coming here puts me in a good mood. I like talking and stuff" -Brianna

"I like how you help us to know what we are going to do when we grow up and how we can help others, like by volunteering." -Ami

Instructor: “The school social worker said that she believes the program is really valuable and wishes that it could go on even longer.”

“We completed our 7th session of the program today. The girls have spent the past few weeks thinking about careers and why it is important to have a job. They talked about the needs and wants they have in their lives and the jobs they envision themselves doing to support themselves one day. One student, who loves music, decided that she wants to open her own musical instrument shop where she will also teach piano lessons. Another student decided that she wants to design her own clothing line. Another, who loves volunteering, decided that she wanted to work for an organization that helps people. Today, we explored why it is useful to have a bank account and the many roles that banks play. We discussed the dangers of having a credit card, and why it is important to have savings and checking accounts. The girls have posted their needs and wants on a wall in the classroom. It will remain up until the end of the session and they will occasionally add to it."

Fidelity Investments is one of the world's largest providers of financial services, with custodied assets of over $2.5 trillion, including managed assets of over $1.2 trillion as of January 31, 2009. Fidelity offers investment management, retirement planning, brokerage, and human resources and benefits outsourcing services to 24 million individuals and institutions as well as through 5,500 financial intermediary firms. The firm is the largest mutual fund company in the United States, the No. 1 provider of workplace retirement savings plans, the largest mutual fund supermarket and a leading online brokerage firm. For more information about Fidelity Investments, visit www.fidelity.com.