Citizens Bank Joins Boston Children’s Museum and EcoMedia to Promote Financial Literacy Programming and Public Awareness Effort

January 27, 2015 /3BL Media/ - As part of its commitment to strengthen communities, Citizens Bank furthered its support of Boston Children’s Museum by sponsoring the Money Matters Family Festival, which promotes financial literacy and encourages intergenerational conversations about earning, spending, saving and sharing money.

The Money Matters Festival celebrated a longstanding partnership between Citizens Bank and Boston Children’s Museum, as well as a newly founded partnership with CBS EcoMedia. Through participation in EcoMedia’s EducationAd program, Citizens Bank expanded Boston Children’s Museum’s Money Matters program, a financial literacy initiative designed to teach young children the basics of financial literacy. Funding through the EducationAd program will enable Boston Children’s Museum to serve more children with its program and enhance students’ educational experiences.

The festival also saw the launch of Money Matters 2.0, which builds on the Money Matters program by sharpening and refining curriculum development to expand the program to reach students in kindergarten through fourth grade. The program offers hands-on, realistic simulations as they exchange goods and services.

“Supporting Boston Children’s Museum’s Money Matters program is part of Citizens Bank’s commitment to helping people bank better by learning how to manage their money,” said Jerry Sargent, President, Citizens Bank, Massachusetts. “The Money Matters program will make a positive impact in Massachusetts by spurring meaningful discussions about money among family members of all ages.”

During the festival, families enjoyed live music, stories and plays, and children participated in creative activities that exposed them to real-world scenarios intended to teach the basics of finance in a substantive and fun way. Citizens Bank employees interacted with the youth as they managed the various activities throughout the day. Hosts included Jerry Sargent, President, Citizens Bank, Massachusetts; Carole Charnow, President and Chief Executive Officer, Boston Children’s Museum; and Theresa Schieber, SVP, Operations and Strategic Partner Development, CBS EcoMedia.

“Citizens Bank’s support of Money Matters and this festival is extremely important because it will help families to understand and improve their financial literacy skills,” said Carole Charnow, President and Chief Executive Officer, Boston Children’s Museum. “Through our partnership with Citizens Bank, Boston Children’s Museum has an opportunity to engage children in hands-on learning activities to strengthen their knowledge about money and finance.”

“With this funding from Citizens Bank, students will gain a real-world perspective of finance and acquire the basic yet critical skills that they need to successfully manage their finances in the future," said Paul Polizzotto, President and Founder, CBS EcoMedia.

About Citizens Financial Group Inc.

Citizens Financial Group Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $131.3 billion in assets as of September 30, 2014. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, the company offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. Consumer Banking helps its retail customers “bank better” with mobile and online banking, a 24/7 customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 3,200 ATMs and approximately 1,200 Citizens Bank and Charter One branches in 11 states in the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions. Citizens also provides mortgage lending, auto lending, student lending and commercial banking services in selective markets nationwide. Citizens Commercial Banking offers corporate, institutional and not-for-profit clients a full range of wholesale banking products and services including lending and deposits, capital markets, treasury services, foreign exchange and interest hedging, leasing and asset finance, specialty finance and trade finance.

Citizens operates via subsidiaries Citizens Bank, N.A., and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. Additional information about Citizens and its full line of products and services can be found at www.citizensbank.com.

About Boston Children's Museum

Boston Children's Museum exists to help children understand and enjoy the world in which they live. It is a private, non-profit, educational institution that is recognized internationally as a research and development center and pacesetter for children's exhibitions, educational programs and curriculum. Boston Children's Museum incorporates two strategies - engaging families and building communities - to impact five outcome areas for children: Creative Kids, Curious Kids, Global Kids, Green Kids and Healthy Kids. More information about Boston Children's Museum can be found at www.BostonChildrensMuseum.org.

Hours and Admission

The Museum is open daily from 10:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. and Fridays until 9:00 p.m. Adults, $12; children (1-15) and senior citizens, $9; children under one and Museum members are always free. Fridays 5:00 - 9:00 p.m., all visitors $1.

About CBS EcoMedia Inc.

At EcoMedia, we’re propelled by the desire to create positive social change; that’s been our mission since we founded the company in 2002.  In 2010, after successfully partnering with CBS on a wide range of environmental projects, EcoMedia became the newest addition to the CBS Corporation portfolio, exponentially scaling our reach across television, radio, interactive, publishing and outdoor media. 

Through our patent-pending EcoAd, WellnessAd and EducationAd programs, an innovative twist on traditional advertising, advertisers are able to support much-needed local projects which in turn creates jobs, saves taxpayer money and improves the quality of life in communities nationwide.  In the process, we’re fundamentally altering the advertising landscape, elevating the ordinary, traditional commercial – and media, in general – into a catalyst for tangible, quantifiable social change.  Please visit ecomediacbs.com, like us at facebook.com/EcoMediaCBS or follow us at Twitter.com/EcoMediaCBS.

By participating in EcoMedia’s EcoAd, WellnessAd and EducationAd advertising programs, EcoMedia’s advertisers agree to provide funding for projects we believe will have a beneficial effect upon the environment, health and/or education within local communities.  EcoMedia’s advertising programs are not certification programs nor are the EcoAd, WellnessAd or EducationAd logos seals of approval. EcoMedia does not in any way certify, endorse or make any representations about EcoMedia program advertisers, their products or services.