MoneySKILL, AFSAEF's reality based Internet curriculum designed to teach personal finance to high school students, is gaining exposure in various states.

Economics and business teachers in Upstate New York will begin teacher training for the MoneySKILL curriculum in early December 2003. Following their training, courses in financial literacy will be offered in the spring of 2004 to students in 50 high schools. High school seniors in Albany, Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse will start to use MoneySKILL for Teens, a 38 module pilot initiative designed specifically for young adults.

In early November, Oregon state officials received an introduction to MoneySKILL. Susie Irvine, President and CEO of AFSAEF, along with Paul Cosgrove, executive director of the Oregon Financial Services Association, spent two days promoting MoneySKILL and the foundation's financial literacy initiatives to the Departments of Education, Consumer & Business Services, Housing and Community Services, and professional technical supervisor with the Portland Public Schools. The success of these meetings guarantees the continuation of propagation of the program into 2004.

Irvine also met with Arizona State Senator Dean Martin (R- District 6), Chairman of the Finance Committee. Martin expressed interest in partnering with AFSAEF to educate young people about their finances by helping to distribute MoneySKILL to Arizonians.

"Little by little, state-level educators and decision makers are starting to get the word that this invaluable resource is available for their use," said Irvine.