Be $mart Missouri

A Program by the Missouri Council on Economic Education

Responsibilities of Local Coordinator

Background:

The state Board of Education enacted a new a one-semester capstone course in Personal Finance that will be required for graduation from high school. The Missouri Council on Economic Education (MCEE) has played a significant role with the assistance of many other Missouri organizations in bringing this serious need to light following the report that 54.8% of seniors in 2004 and 43.7% in 2008 failed a national survey of personal financial knowledge. MCEE worked with the Missouri Secretary of State's office to develop local Be $mart Missouri (BSM) chapters in communities across the state to bring public attention and action to the need for economic, financial, and investor education in a truly unique manner. This program seeks to mobilize local groups of citizens to provide assistance, support, and encouragement to school administrators, teachers, and students in achieving the positive impact on student lives envisioned in this new graduation requirement.

Responsibilities of Local Coordinator:

The state office of the Missouri Council on Economic Education (MCEE) will identify a Local Coordinator in each community selected after obtaining agreement with the local high school to participate in the Be $mart Missouri program.

Select a date for a school assembly to launch the local Be $mart Missouri program. Assembly will be prepared by the MCEE in conjunction with the local high school and BSM Chapter to provide a “motivational program” for students, teachers, administrators, media and community members. Some schools have few assemblies and need to identify an alternative "launching" activity.

Recruit six to eight local community members to join the BSM Chapter. These community members may be representatives of local organizations such as service clubs, PTAs or PTOs, chambers of commerce, organized labor, the financial community, or local government. See sheet entitled Responsibilities of Members of the Local BSM Chapter for additional information. The MCEE will provide on the Be $mart Missouri Website, a list of ideas for potential local activities that can be used or adapted by the local BSM Chapter.

Serve as the primary contact to advisory board to assist board and high school in coordination of obtaining agreement on the program content of the high school assembly and for physical arrangements for conducting this assembly or alternative launching activity.