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National Theatre for Children Debuts First Theatrical Performance to Teach Financial Literacy in Schools; Citibank Brings America's Largest In-School Touring Theater to Houston; Comic Improv Helps Kids Understand Personal Finance

Posted on: Monday, 17 October 2005, 09:00 CDT

A unique mixture of personal finance and humor will be unveiled this week to students at the Patrick Henry and Lamar Fleming Middle Schools in Houston, thanks to Citibank, which is bringing important financial literacy topics into the comic spotlight by sponsoring the premiere of a live, in-school theater show called Mad About Money. Created by The National Theatre for Children (NTC), Mad About Money is the only nationwide educational show of its kind to teach young people the principles of saving, budgeting, investing and credit. The NTC plans to take the performance to 1,000 schools in all 50 states next year.

"We are pleased to bring such an innovative, fun and effective financial education program to Houston schools because it is imperative that good financial habits start early," said Dara Duguay, Director of Citigroup's Office of Financial Education. "In the fourth consecutive biennial survey administered by the Jump$tart Coalition, 65% of high school seniors on average failed a test to determine their knowledge of personal finance basics. By uniting improv comedy with proven education techniques, Mad About Money helps students understand the basics of personal finance. It is an education that will serve them well throughout their lives."

"Mad About Money is the first of its kind improv comedy show that teaches students about money," said Ward Eames, Founder and President, The National Theatre for Children. "Thanks to Citibank and their commitment to support financial education programs across the country and around the world, we are able to bring this educational and entertaining program to thousands of students in Texas."

"Financial literacy is unacceptably low in this country," adds Lewis Mandell, Ph.D., Professor of Finance and Managerial Economics at the State University of New York-Buffalo. "Having seen the performance and the students' reactions, I'm very optimistic that Mad About Money will cause young people to think more about the value of saving."

Dr. Mandell is working with NTC to thoroughly evaluate the program's impact on students' attitude toward managing personal finances.

Mad About Money was developed by The National Theatre for Children (NTC), in partnership with Lightbulb Press. NTC is the largest in-school touring company in America, which delivered over 7,000 performances in 2004 and is trusted by educators for a unique formula of live theatrical interaction and sound educational technique. Lightbulb Press is a highly-regarded developer and publisher of financial literacy guides, financial educational web sites for adults and children, and teacher support materials. www.lightbulbpress.com

Mad About Money program components, which meet state and national standards for teaching financial and investor literacy, include live in-school performances, engaging workbooks, take-home activities, Internet exercises, handy guidebooks, curricular aids for teachers, and a rigorous testing method for measuring program results. Excerpts are available at www.nationaltheatre.com/madaboutmoney.asx.

Citibank is the premiere sponsor of Mad About Money. In 2004, Citigroup and the Citigroup Foundation announced a 10-year, $200 million global financial education commitment, the formation of a new Office of Financial Education and a global initiative designed to encourage its 300,000 employees around the world to devote time to support financial education and other charitable causes. Under the new initiative, employees may take a day off from work to volunteer for non-profit organizations in their communities.

About Citigroup

Citigroup (NYSE: C), the leading global financial services company has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Major brand names under Citigroup's trademark red umbrella include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Smith Barney and Banamex. The Citigroup Foundation focuses its grants primarily in three areas: financial education, educating the next generation, and building communities and entrepreneurs. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com.

Citigroup Financial Education Program

Based on the belief that knowledge is your greatest asset, the Citigroup Financial Education Program is a global, company-wide effort to identify, support and implement initiatives that help give individuals, families and communities the tools needed to make sound financial decisions. Citigroup's 10-year, $200 million global commitment is focused in three areas: Personal Financial Education, Small Business Financial Education, and Institutional Financial Education. Additional information about Citigroup's Financial Education Program, including Foundation guidelines, links and resources, including the Citigroup Financial Education Program Curriculum and Facilitator's Guide may be found at: http://financialeducation.citigroup.com

Source: Business Wire

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