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The Indiana Daily Student

Indiana Money Smart Week brings events to Bloomington

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About 930,000 people in Indiana are living in poverty, according to the 2014 United States Census.

This is why the Monroe County Public Library offers programs such as Indiana Money Smart Week, said Ryan Stacy, the coordinating librarian for the It’s Your Money Project.

Indiana Money Smart Week is part of a national series sponsored by the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank and put on locally by the Monroe County Public 
Library.

The series, run under the umbrella of the Monroe County Public Library’s It’s Your Money Project, will take place from April 23 to April 30 and offer free events open to the public on paying for college, apartment-hunting and buying a car.

This is the fourth year of the series.

The series is funded by the Smart Investing At Your Library grant.

“It’s high-quality information without bias at no charge,“ Stacy said.

Stacy said he believes personal finance programs are no longer prevalent in schools because there is not enough funding.

Nevertheless, he believes lessons on money need to be taught, he said.

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had someone come up to me and say, ‘Why didn’t I learn this in school?’” Stacy said. “People with low education up through graduate students say the same thing.”

Financial stability is in jeopardy across the country and especially in Indiana, so these programs are 
particularly important, Stacy said.

In Indiana in 2014, 14.1 percent of people were living in poverty, according to Stats Indiana.

What is notable about the Indiana Money Smart Week is the events are all unbiased and taught by experts vetted by the Smart Investing At Your Library grant committee, Stacy said.

“Money Smart Week is so valuable for our 
community,” said Jamie Kuzemka, community initiatives director at United Way of Monroe County, in a press release. “We’re lucky to have these different events, relevant to so many people.”

Lisa Champelli, the children’s strategist at the Monroe County Public Library, said the program is also committed to educating children in conjunction with adults.

Parents can bring their children to the Indiana Money Smart Week events, so while parents attend programming to learn about personal finances, their children are also educated on money through games and storytelling.

“It’s important to educate children on the significance of saving, sharing, as well as spending,” Champelli said.

It’s easy for kids to think because they want something, they should get it right away, Champelli said. They should learn delayed gratification and how to obtain things they would like to have.

The library is committed to helping people of all age groups through educational programs, Stacy said.

“We’re here to help people become better consumers and happier people,” Stacy said.

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