Maine Jump$tart Coalition named 2024 State Coalition of the Year

The Maine Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy was  recently recognized by the National Jump$tart Coalition as the 2024 State Coalition of the Year. The State Coalition of the Year Award was created to recognize the sound structure and  management of a state coalition; its effectiveness and innovation in reaching, supporting, and  assisting teachers; its public awareness activities; its effectiveness in carrying out Jump$tart’s  State Coalition Common Strategy; and the level of participation and collaboration within the  coalition itself.

This is the second time that the Maine Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy has  received this award. Mary Dyer, Maine Jump$tart president, along with six Maine personal  finance teachers, traveled to Washington D.C. recently to attend the annual awards luncheon  and accept this recognition on behalf of Maine.

At the ceremony, Dyer thanked Maine teachers for elevating personal finance in their  classrooms, “I stand here before you today, surrounded by six of Maine’s rockstar personal  finance teachers. Each of them has been honored with Maine Jumpstart’s Financial Educator of  the Year Award and now serves on our board of directors. On a shoestring budget, we made our  way here, together, in a 15-passenger van on a 13-hour drive, during what should be their April  vacation. If that doesn’t convey the passion and commitment of Maine’s personal finance  teachers, I’m not sure what would.”

Maine Jump$tart is an all-volunteer nonprofit coalition that offers a variety of free professional  development opportunities for Maine teachers, including the Fostering Financial Education in  Maine Schools Conference, which is in its 15 ^th year. The Coalition also provides teacher  scholarships for the National Education Conference and recognizes distinguished educators  through the Financial Educator of the Year Award.

The Maine Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy is an all-volunteer, nonprofit  organization focused on improving the financial knowledge of Maine citizens, with a special  focus on pre-K through college students, including adult learners. Working collaboratively, the  Coalition seeks to increase awareness and provide training and support to Maine educators  while also promoting educational resources and fostering communication among agencies and individuals who provide financial education to Maine families. For more information, please  visit https://mejumpstart.org/.