National Financial Capability Month student challenge equips youth with money management skills

Bellco announced that it is a sponsor of the EVERFI Financial Literacy Bee, taking place April 5–19, 2024. The EVERFI Financial Literacy Bee is a nationwide financial capability challenge for eligible students in grades 8–12.

The virtual challenge, created by education innovator EVERFI and supported by leading financial institutions nationwide, features four short, digital lessons followed by a capstone essay contest in which students share a short- or long-term savings goal and outline their plan to achieve that goal. One entrant in the Bellco-sponsored site of the EVERFI Financial Literacy Bee will receive a $500 prize to jumpstart their savings goals.

With 85% of Americans feeling stressed about the state of their finances, according to a 2021 survey by the National Endowment for Financial Education, the EVERFI Financial Literacy Bee provides an opportunity for students to learn the critical importance of saving and budgeting for both short- and long-term financial goals.

"Bellco is committed to engaging in our communities by providing tools and resources to increase financial education and drive impactful change," said John Rivera, chief retail officer at Bellco. "We are proud to support students through the Financial Literacy Bee and hope it will help offer dinner-table conversations about important financial topics."

By competing in the challenge, participating students will gain new skills to create a personalized financial decision-making framework that they can apply to their lives now and in the future. Topics include how to save, setting financial goals, budgeting, and investing.

In addition to supporting the EVERFI Financial Literacy Fee, Bellco works with EVERFI to provide MoneySmarts, a free, user-friendly online financial education tool to help consumers navigate financial uncertainty and plan for the future.

To learn more about the EVERFI Financial Literacy Bee, visit Bellco.org/Bee.