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ING DIRECT Reveals Arizona Winners of the Planet Orange Financial Literacy Awards; Two Local Teachers Are Recognized for Their Dedication to Financial Education

Posted on: Wednesday, 13 September 2006, 12:00 CDT

ING DIRECT, the nation's fourth-largest savings bank, announced today that Susan Calvert, sixth grade teacher at the Vah-Ki Middle School in Bapchule, and Cassi Mackey-Chenen, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade teacher at the Montessori Education Centre in Mesa, have won Planet Orange Financial Literacy Awards (orangekids.com/awards). Created by ING DIRECT, the award program recognizes teachers for their innovative and effective financial education teaching.

The winning teachers both received $1,500 to further their professional development, while their schools were each awarded with $1,000. Calvert and Mackey-Chenen will be honored during separate assemblies held at their schools on September 13th and 14th, respectively. The honored teachers will be recognized before an audience of students and school officials, key members of the community, and supporters of financial literacy.

Susan Calvert, who has taught at the elementary level for six years, encourages her students to learn money management through "Bonus Bucks", which students can earn for performing tasks, and then save in a classroom bank account.

"I believe early exposure to money management is the key to fiscal responsibility later in life," Calvert said. "I'm confident that my students will benefit greatly from this award through the enhanced financial literacy programming that I'll add to my curriculum."

A firm believer in hands-on learning experiences, Cassi Mackey-Chenen has created several programs to help students apply the concepts they learn in the classroom. Mackey-Chenen instituted a school-wide program called "Mercado" in which students sell products or provide services and perform key business functions, like developing a business plan, setting a budget, and tracking inventory.

"Having students role play as producers and consumers, teaches them firsthand about the economic processes that will affect their future," Mackey-Chenen said.

"We congratulate Cassi Mackey-Chenen and Susan Calvert and their schools on winning this award and inspiring students to gain the skills needed manage their financial future," said Arkadi Kuhlmann, President and CEO, ING DIRECT. "We hope that the dedication to financial literacy teaching demonstrated by Ms. Mackey-Chenen and Ms. Calvert will inspire teachers and schools throughout Arizona to make financial education a top priority in their classrooms."

The Planet Orange Financial Literacy Awards were piloted in the states of Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Delaware and were open to first through eighth grade teachers. Applicants were required to complete an online application, including an essay explaining their approach to teaching financial literacy.

A panel of independent judges reviewed the applications from the five finalists in Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, and selected two winners from each state. Arizona judges included Wanda Simeona, secretary of the Arizona Jump$tart Coalition; and Michael Sullivan, director of Education for Take Charge America and the president of the Arizona Jump$tart Coalition.

The awards are named after Planet Orange (orangekids.com), the educational Web site launched by ING DIRECT in 2002 to teach kids about money management basics. Recognized as a USA TODAY Education "Best Bet" and Forbes.com "Best of the Web," Planet Orange includes a Teachers Resource Center, which features free, downloadable lesson plans and quizzes that teachers can easily incorporate into the classroom. A Curriculum Matrix helps teachers find lesson plans that align with their state's core academic standards for economics and math.

ING DIRECT, the nation's largest direct bank and fourth-largest thrift, is dedicated to inspiring Americans to become a nation of savers. Since its inception in 2000, more than 4.3 million Americans have entrusted their savings with ING DIRECT, building the bank to $62 billion in assets. Backed by one of the largest financial services organizations in the world, ING GROUP (NYSE:ING), ING DIRECT offers industry leading interest rates, the most advanced innovations in web security and customer service, and a culture of consumer education and advocacy. ING DIRECT is also an FDIC Member and an Equal Housing Lender. For more information on ING DIRECT, or to learn more about the bank's high-value products, including the Orange Savings Account and the Orange Mortgage, visit www.ingdirect.com or call 1-800-ING DIRECT.

Style note to Editors: ING DIRECT is always capitalized and never referred to as ING.

Source: Business Wire

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