News Release

Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay, Wilmington University Team Up for 4th Annual Financial Literacy Day May 18

Middle and high school girls join with community women to learn personal, college, career finance and more

Chesapeake Bay Girl Scout Troop #537 and Wilmington University are teaming up to bring a day of learning the how-tos of basic and personal finance to 6^th through 12^th grade girls and adult women alike. The May 18 event will start with registration at 8:30 a.m. and will run from 8:45 to 4:30 p.m. at WilmU’s new Brandywine campus, located at 10 Beaver Valley Road in Wilmington. Lunch and snacks will be provided.

This year marks the first time that this popular event will be open to both adult women in the community as well as middle through high school-age girls. Attendees can select the learning sessions and workshops they want to attend from a wide range of offerings, including: how to manage a checkbook and build a good credit report; personal budgeting and finance; to how to start your own business or nonprofit; how to find the right college; how to self-publish, and how to become a digital entrepreneur.

Financial Literacy Day has grown in popularity since Kathy Fintak and Stephanie Jaynes created and started the program in 2016. The event began as a result of their individual careers in banking, as they witnessed the myriad mistakes, trials and errors of many women struggling with their own or family finances, and often those of businesses they owned.

With over 30 years in Girl Scouts between them, both Jaynes and Fintak saw the organization as the first best audience for their idea to offer training in a wide range of financial topics and applications. “Learning about money and finance is an essential life skill, yet many young women don’t have a handle on what they make and how to manage it wisely,” says Jaynes. “It was especially eye-opening to me when I learned that 75 percent of middle and high school-age girls have never stepped foot in a grocery store. They have little to no idea how – or how much – to budget for, much less pay for, the food they eat. The earlier girls learn how money works, the sooner they can grasp the fundamentals of finance. And having a strong financial understanding is the foundation that ultimately helps young women to become truly independent; to thrive, not just survive.”

According to the Wall Street Journal, financial literacy, along with STEM training, environmentalism and leadership training, demonstrates how Girl Scouts has changed with the times and remains relevant to its members and their communities.

Kathy Fintak, senior department manager at Discover Bank, knows that the Girl Scouts organization is a good entry point for getting in front of school aged girls. “Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low was all for girls learning the skills by which they could become financially independent,” she says. “Financial literacy is critical to the success of young women regardless of the career they choose.”

Fintak and Jaynes developed the day of financial education, the core of which comprises the Girl Scout Financial Literacy badges. They expanded on those to include résumé writing and interviewing; the business of what are traditionally thought of as “non-business” careers like writing and art, and the nuts and bolts of how to actually get a business off the ground. This year boasts expanded marketing education to encompass social media and digital marketing, as well as how digital is changing the way businesses do business.

“Overall, the biggest value of this day is that the girls and women who participate will be working directly with business professionals, hearing firsthand what they’ve learned and experienced, and networking with everyone,” Fintak added.

“WilmU is proud to partner with Chesapeake Bay Girl Scout Troop 537 in presenting Financial Literacy Day, and our Brandywine campus is a great place for it,” said Jeff Martino, director of the Wilmington University Partnership Center. “There’s a lot of truth in the adage, ‘If you don’t know compound interest, you’re doomed to pay it,’ and we are in complete support of the Chesapeake Girl Scouts’ day of learning to promote greater financial awareness, understanding and independence for the women of our community.”

Click here to visit the Financial Literacy Day event page on Facebook for more information and to sign up.

About Chesapeake Bay Girl Scout Troop #537

Girl Scout Troop #537 is dedicated to building girls of courage, confidence and character who strive to make the world a better place. Girls develop qualities that will serve them all their lives, like leadership, strong values, social conscience and conviction about their own potential and self-worth.

About Wilmington University

Wilmington University is one of the most affordable, fastest growing private, nonprofit universities in the region, offering undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in online and traditional formats. An accredited and respected leader specializing in exemplary student service, Wilmington University offers convenient and flexible options designed to prepare students for success in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Now celebrating its 50^th year, the University has never wavered in its mission to offer opportunities to all who wish to transform their lives through quality education. For more information, visit wilmu.edu.

Published: Sunday, June 2, 2019 - New Castle, DE