Financial Fitness For Kids

ICEE is pleased to continue as a partner in the three-year Chicago City Treasurer’s Financial Fitness for Kids (FFFK) project.  The project involves twenty-one (21) Chicago Public Schools committing to and participating in FFFK over a three-year period.  The schools implement the FFFK curriculum sequentially over three grade levels, either K-2 or 3-5.  The schedule of curriculum implementation is as follows:

• Year 1: all teachers from either Kindergarten or 3rd grade - trained and implemented lessons in 2005-2006; these K and 3rd grade teachers continue to teach the same lessons in each of the next two years.
• Year 2: all teachers from either 1st grade or 4th grade - added this school year; these teachers will continue to teach the same lessons next year as well.
• Year 3: all teachers from either 2nd grade or 5th grade – to be added school year 2007-2008; all previous FFFK teachers continue to teach this year as well.

The goal of the project is the integration of financial literacy education across the curriculum to: 

• Reinforce reading and math skills, while complimenting the curriculum and making a real-life connection
• Create a sequence for financial literacy, building a progressive and continuous knowledge of financial affairs for students
• Help children become knowledgeable consumers, savvy savers and investors

Sponsorship of this project rests with the City Treasurer’s Office, and the City of Chicago, with financial support from area financial institutions. Other sponsors & partners: New Amsterdam Partners; Ariel Capital Mgt.; Attucks Asset Mgt.; National City Bank; Dearborn Partners; Albany Bank; Morgan Stanley Investment Mgt.; Harris Investment Mgt.; Bank One Mgt. Corp.;  J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation; Bank of America Foundation; Cabrera Capital Markets, Inc.; Chicago Public Schools; University of Illinois at Chicago-Center for Economic Education; Illinois Council on Economic Education.

For more information about this program, contact Beth Metzler by e-mail or at 815-753-0356.