Building Futures project announced for Manitoba schools

TORONTO , Nov. 23 /CNW/ - Investors Group, the Canadian Foundation for Economic Education (CFEE) and the Manitoba government will hold a luncheon on November 24, 2009 , to publicly announce, and share information on, "The Building Futures Project." This collaborative project will integrate basic economic and financial literacy into Manitoba's core school curricula.

The luncheon will be held at 12:00 noon in the Broadway Room of the Fort Garry Hotel. Attending the luncheon will be the Honourable Peter Bjornson , Minister of Entrepreneurship, Training, and Trade; Murray Taylor , President of Investors Group; Gary Rabbior, President of the Canadian Foundation for Economic Education; the Deputy Minister of Education; and Manitoba's two Assistant Deputy Ministers of Education.

"Manitoba is proud to be the first province in Canada to commit to integrating economic and financial education throughout our compulsory Grades 4-12 school curricula," Bjornson said. "The Building Futures Project will ensure that Manitoba students leave our public school system having had the opportunity to acquire the economic and financial knowledge and skills they will need throughout their lives."

"Investors Group has been pleased to support this important project in Canada ," said Murray Taylor . "We are particularly delighted that Manitoba has taken a leadership position in this area of learning in Canada , and Investors Group will continue to support CFEE and The Building Futures Project as the project is implemented in Manitoba and, we hope, moves on to other provinces across Canada ."

The Building Futures Project will integrate 50 learning modules throughout grades 4 to 12. The project will not replace any current curricula but will be integrated into existing courses in Mathematics, Social Studies, Language Arts, and Science. The content of the 50 modules was determined by a provincial advisory group representing a variety of stakeholder groups in the Province of Manitoba. Integration into the curriculum will be guided by officials from Manitoba Education. The Canadian Foundation for Economic Education, a charitable, non-profit, non-partisan organization, is coordinating the work and will oversee the development of the learning modules and assist with teacher preparation.

"Efforts to integrate economic and financial education into Canadian school programs are starting to take hold," said Gary Rabbior. "Manitoba has provided the leadership in Canada and has worked with CFEE to develop a model for integration that recently was adopted by the Province of Ontario. In the years to come, Manitoba students will benefit from acquiring the knowledge and skills to undertake their economic and financial decisions and responsibilities with confidence and competence," Rabbior said.

Development work will continue, with a target implementation date of September 2011 for the Early and Middle School years (grades K to 8) and of 2012 for the Senior Years (grades 9 to 12).

Additional details will be available to the media at the luncheon.

For further information: At Investors Group: Ron Arnst, [email protected]; At CFEE: Susan Lennox, [email protected]