Purdue News

November 20, 1998 Extension program on financial literacy recognized WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- "Making Your Money Work," a program on financial literacy for low-income audiences, received the Ann Hancook Educator/Specialist Award during the 1998 annual conference of the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, Nov. 17-19 at Purdue. The program is designed to help people take more financial responsibility in their lives by having participants understand their relationship with money and the part it plays in their day-to-day life, and by having them understand how financial decisions affect their financial future. The program was developed after Rebecca Haynes, family resource management Extension educator in Marion County, received a community request for such a program. She and Alma Owen, Extension specialist in the Department of Consumer Sciences and Retailing, developed the program. Adult learners helped design the curriculum, increasing their ownership of class time, work and results. Participants progressed from knowing about money management topics to actively using money management strategies to gain control of the way money flows through their lives. Class participants also help revise the curriculum and help recruit the next class. More than 20 Indiana educators have been trained in the program, and the curriculum has been shared with a dozen other states. The Hancook Award is presented annually in honor of Ann Hancook, Purdue Cooperative Extension Service program leader who died in 1993, to recognize Extension educators and specialists who jointly create programs focusing on families. It's sponsored by the Indiana Extension Educators Association, Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service Specialists Association, and the Alpha Lambda Chapter of Epsilon Sigma Phi, the Extension honorary. CONTACT: Floyd Branson, assistant director, Cooperative Extension Service, (765) 494-8490; e-mail, Floyd_Branson@ces.purdue.edu Compiled by Chris Sigurdson, (765) 494-8415; E-mail, sig@ecn.purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page