Youth Board Advises Young Americans

DENVER - Aug. 30, 2016 - PRLog -- Young Americans Center for Financial Education, a Denver-based non-profit that develops the financial literacy of youth, announced the names of the 17 young adults from throughout the metro area who will serve on its Youth Advisory Board this school year.  Ranging in age from 8^th - 12^th grade, Board Members have the opportunity to learn "hands-on" about banking, business and the role of nonprofits in a community while providing valuable advice and insight to Young Americans Bank, the world's only bank for young people, and its accompanying youth financial education programs.

The teens weigh in on strategies and marketing, and they will receive training and experience in how to serve on a board, on media relations and on philanthropy.  One of the highlights of their board service is choosing the real charities for the Donation Station at the Center's flagship Young AmeriTowne program, where 26,000 5^th graders run their own town for a day each year.  Board members research Colorado non-profits and pick the six that they feel provide the most meaningful impact on the community.

According to President and CEO Rich Martinez, "Young Americans has benefitted from the youth perspective provided by Youth Advisory Board since we were founded in 1987.  It is important that our management team and adult Board of Directors have an understanding about the needs of young people, since this is the main audience of our organization."

Selected through a competitive application and interview process, the 2016/2017 Youth Advisory Board members are:

Aliyah Fard, Co-Chair, 11th Grade, Colorado Academy
Ben Roswell, Co-Chair, 11th Grade, Cherry Creek High School
Amelia Christensen, 9th Grade, Sky View Academy
Sydney Cross-Watts, 9th Grade, Regis Jesuit High School
AJ Hammerstein, 10th Grade, East High School
Nyla Higgs, 9th Grade, Vista Academy
David Hirschhorn, 10th Grade, Fairview High School
Kristoff Kerr, 9th Grade, Denver Academy
Amanda Lam, 10th Grade, D'Evelyn High School
Brigid McNamara, 9th Grade, George Washington High School
Wilson Murane, 11th Grade, East High School
Jazmin Peña, 11th Grade, Rangeview High School
Evelese Reyes, 12th Grade, Cherry Creek High School
Jack Ryan, 8th Grade, Logan School for Creative Learning
Mollie Sabo, 12th Grade, Dakota Ridge High School
Weston Schroeder, 10th Grade, Mountain Vista High School
Kai Suematsu, 11th Grade, George Washington High School

Young Americans Center for Financial Education is a nonprofit organization committed to developing the financial literacy of young people, up to age 22, through real life experiences and hands-on programs. The Center fulfills its mission by offering programs that complement and reinforce each other to build life skills, work skills and financial self-sufficiency. These include Young AmeriTowne, International Towne, YouthBiz, free Money Matters classes, summer camps and more. In addition, Young Americans Center houses the only real bank in the world for young people, Young Americans Bank, which shares the same educational mission of teaching children to be financially responsible. Since 1987, more than 600,000 youth have participated in the programs or bank. For more information on the Young Americans Center for Financial Education, visit www.yacenter.org.