April 16, 2019— Northern Kentucky University’s Center for Economic Education (CEE) and the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland welcome area students for the Danny Dollar Academy presentations on April 17.
The Danny Dollar Academy teaches financial literacy through the story of an 11-year-old aspiring millionaire and his successful lemonade stand venture. Fourth and fifth graders from Cincinnati’s Rothenberg Preparatory Academy and Westwood School, Southgate Elementary, Holy Trinity in Bellevue and Barbourville’s Central Elementary will present their student-led projects.
“The Academy is successful because we merge reading literacy with entrepreneurship, personal finance and economic education curriculum,” said Dr. Abdullah Al-Bahrani, director of NKU CEE. “Students are encouraged to create their own businesses, and this real-life application helps make the project memorable.”
Ty Allan Jackson, the author of “Danny Dollar Millionaire Extraordinaire” and founder of Big Head Books, wrote the story after he was unable to find a book that addressed the “dollars and the cents” question that his six-year-old son had. Impressed by the inclusiveness, diversity and educational value of the book, Dr. Al-Bahrani reached out to Jackson in 2016 to develop a financial literacy program, ultimately bringing Danny Dollar Academy to life.
The four-week-long program that began in January starts with students reading “Danny Dollar Millionaire Extraordinaire” in their classrooms. Lesson plans created by NKU CEE and the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland connect the concepts in the book to state education standards. The Academy culminates with the student projects that use the financial literacy concepts they learned in the Danny Dollar Academy.
About the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland: The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland is one of 12 regional Reserve Banks that, along with the Board of Governors in Washington, DC, comprise the Federal Reserve System. Part of the nation’s central bank, the Cleveland Fed participates in the formulation of US monetary policy, supervises banking organizations, provides payment and other services to financial institutions and the US Treasury, and performs many activities that support Federal Reserve operations System-wide. In addition, the Bank supports the well-being of communities across the Fourth Federal Reserve District through a wide array of research, outreach, and educational activities. . With branches in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, the Cleveland Fed serves an area that comprises Ohio, eastern Kentucky, western Pennsylvania, and the northern panhandle of West Virginia. For more information, go to www.clevelandfed.org.
About NKU: Founded in 1968, we are a growing metropolitan university of more than 14,000 students served by more than 2,000 faculty and staff on a thriving suburban campus near Cincinnati. Located in the quiet suburb of Highland Heights, Kentucky—just seven miles southeast of Cincinnati—we have become a leader in Greater Cincinnati and Kentucky by providing a private school education for a fraction of the cost. While we are one of the fastest growing universities in Kentucky, our professors still know our students' names. For more information, visit nku.edu.
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