AICPA Extends Financial Literacy Effort to Tweens

The American Institute of CPAs has expanded its financial literacy campaign, Feed the Pig, with a new educational program aimed at tweens.

Feed the Pig for Tweens provides a financial literacy curriculum for fourth to sixth graders, or nine- to 11-year-old children. The tween outreach effort introduces a family of piglets for Benjamin Bankes, the piggy bank spokesman and icon for the original campaign that was aimed at 25- to 34-year-olds.

The Bankes Piglets will represent 12 dynamic and diverse "savers and spenders" who will help students analyze their financial habits and create responsible financial plans. The curriculum includes an online interactive game known as "The Great Piglet Challenge" and a take-home activity, "Feed the Pig Family Goal," for the students to work through with family members.

The AICPA is producing the campaign in conjunction with the Ad Council, which helped it create the public service announcements for the original Feed the Pig.

"It's vital that we instill the importance of smart money habits in our children," said Carl George, chairman of the AICPA's National CPA Financial Literacy Commission, in a statement. "At a time when Americans routinely spend more than they earn, educating our nation's youngsters on how to save will have positive long-term effects not only on their individual financial futures, but on the economy as a whole."