-Over 100 eighth-grade students will learn the staples of finance at Rock Financial JA Finance Park-
Auburn Hills, Mich. – Feb. 16, 2009 – Rock Financial and the Pistons-Palace Foundation are hosting a financial education program at Rock Financial Junior Achievement Finance Park in Detroit on Wednesday, February 18 from 9 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.
Rock Financial JA (or Junior Achievement) Finance Park teaches students key fiscal literacy concepts, helping build a foundation for making sound financial decisions throughout life. More than 100 eighth-grade students are participating in the program from Cornerstone Schools and Holmes Elementary School in Detroit.
This event is the culmination of a two-week classroom program that teaches students about money, finance, credit and budgeting, equipping them with the fiscal literacy skills they’ll need to become financially-responsible adults.
The program’s capstone is a trip to Finance Park, which features realistic business storefronts, such as a mortgage company, car dealership, shopping mall, grocery store and more. Each student receives a unique scenario with career, salary and family information. They develop a monthly budget before visiting each storefront at which they must make real-world financial decisions about buying or renting a home, transportation, clothing, food, insurance and health care.
“The strong partnership between the business community and Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan has been tremendously helpful in bringing this program to over 6,000 children in our community last year,” said Karen Kosniewski, President and CEO of Junior Achievement. “Rock Financial and the Pistons-Palace Foundation are two of those businesses that make it possible for JA to change the direction of the lives of young people by providing them with budgeting and planning skills that will last a lifetime.”
Volunteers from Palace Sports and Entertainment and Rock Financial will be on hand to help run the program and assist students in making the tough decisions adults face on a daily basis such as personal budgets, credit cards and recognizing the cost and value of their purchases.
“We believe with the heightened awareness of the economy and the emphasis on managing money today, that it is important to teach kids the value of money, and how money management affects the overall economy and not just the individual,” said Dennis Sampier, Director of Community Relations and the Pistons-Palace Foundation. “This program gives them the tools and the guidance to make good, solid financial decisions for themselves.”
“This unique program teaches kids about budgeting, saving and investing, and the importance of maintaining good credit. Learning sound financial practices early in life can have a long-lasting impact, which is why we felt it was critically important to sponsor JA Rock Financial Finance Park,” said Rock Financial/Quicken Loans Vice President David Carroll.
For more information on JA Finance Park or more JA programs, please visit the website at www.jamichigan.org. Rock Financial JA Finance Park is located at 577 E. Larned, Detroit, MI 48226.
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Quicken Loans Inc consists of Quicken Loans, the nation’s largest online lender, and Rock Financial, Michigan’s largest mortgage company. Quicken Loans closes loans in all 50 states via the Internet from centralized locations in Southeast Michigan; Cleveland, Ohio; North Scottsdale, Ariz., and San Diego. Quicken Loans/Rock Financial has been ranked in the “Top 30” of FORTUNE Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work for in America” list for six consecutive years and #1 or #2 on Computerworld’s list of “Best Places to Work in Technology” for the past four years. In 2008, team members volunteered more than 1,500 hours with local charities and non-profit organizations.