According to the Detroit Free Press, Americans have doubled their debt over the past decade to an astounding $2.5 trillion. While this excludes mortgage-related debt, news reports also continue to paint a bleak picture of Michigan’s rising number of home foreclosures.

Many of the current money issues adults in southeast Michigan face stem from lack of financial education as youths. As part of our Agenda for Change work, the United Way’s public policy team has been advocating for a financial literacy component to be included in school curriculums across the state so that more youth learn early on how to save money, avoid debt and build assets.

The effort is already reaping results.

In October, United Way for Southeastern Michigan Public Policy Vice President Jacqueline Jones testified before the State Board of Education about the need for financial literacy classes to be added to the curriculum for middle and high school students. United Way, in partnership with Michigan Jump$tart Coalition, also rallied key political figures and institutions of higher education as well as banks and other financial institutions to advocate the importance of financial literacy to the board.

“Through our community assessment, United Way learned a great deal about the needs this region faces,” Jones says, referring to United Way's massive outreach effort that led to the development of the Agenda for Change. “Personal finance and money management skills are key contributors to an individual’s ability to avoid debt and build assets. These skills have to be taught from a young age in order for them to truly take hold.”

In response to the advocacy efforts of United Way and Michigan Jump$tart Coalition, the Board of Education recently adopted the following new language -- “Personal finance expectations should be included in high school economics and other elementary and middle school courses.” In coming months, board officials will work on honing a strategy around the curriculum changes, as well as to determine program expectations and to develop an implementation plan.

In addition to this financial literacy work, the United Way's public policy team is working with the Michigan Jump$tart Coalition and state Sen. Michael Switalski (D-Roseville) on details regarding a bill he introduced that would require a personal finance course in high school. Senate Bill 834 calls for students who successfully complete the proposed financial literacy coursework to receive math credits.

You can help in this effort by advocating for SB 834. Please contact your state representatives and urge them to support Switalski as this bill goes through the legislative process. If you are unsure of who your state legislators are, United Way offers a convenient guide online - simply click here.

United Way for Southeastern Michigan’s Leadership Next initiative is providing laptop computers to children across the region and around the world as part of an ambitious plan to make access to learning opportunities universal.

The One Laptop Per Child project was originally intended to provide a low-cost computer for poor children in developing countries. The effort led to the creation of the XO computer, dubbed the “$100 laptop.” OLPC proved to be such a good idea that it has attracted worldwide support, and interest from groups like Leadership Next and others seeking to help young people in their respective communities. The United Way leadership group is made up of young professionals who share an interest in improving conditions across the region.

"Leadership Next believes in the power of technology," says Julie Updyke, UWSEM Major Gifts Associate and Leadership Next coordinator. "We want to begin bridging the educational divides that we see in our region - and think that everyone in our community must have access to technology for this to be possible."

In November, OLPC announced a two-month “Give One, Get One” campaign. For $400, consumers in the United States could buy an XO laptop and a second XO laptop would be donated to a child in a developing country.

Leadership Next jumped into the effort, raising $4,000 in about 60 days to buy 20 laptops. Ten of the computers will be used provide local children access to early education programming, while the remaining 10 are to be donated to children somewhere in either Afghanistan, Cambodia, Haiti, Mongolia or Rwanda.

The laptop concept is the brainchild of MIT Professor Nicholas Negroponte. The idea came to him during a mission to build a school in the remote Cambodian village of Reaksmy - a four-hour drive on a dirt road from the nearest town. How could children living in relative isolation access the same learning opportunities as children in the developed world? Give each child a laptop. So, he did.

Instantly school became a lot more popular in the village. Children who had never seen a computer before suddenly were crossing the digital divide. Negroponte was knocked out.

"The first English word of every child in that village was 'Google'," Negroponte has been quoted as saying. "The village has no electricity, no telephone, no television. And the children take laptops home that are connected broadband to the Internet."

When they took the laptops home, most of the children taught the whole family how to use it. Negroponte says the families loved the information the computers allow them to tap into, and because the village had no electricity, it was the brightest light source in the house, which made them even more attractive.

Negroponte’s experience in Reaksmy planted a seed. If every child in the world had access to a computer, what potential could be unlocked? What problems could be solved? These questions led to the formation of the nonprofit One Laptop Per Child organization, and eventually the technology that produced XO laptop.

Not a laptop project, but an education project

OLPC is on a mission to revolutionize the way in which children around the world are educated. While children are by nature eager for knowledge, many countries have insufficient resources to devote to education—sometimes less than $20 per year, per child (compared to an average of $7,500 in the United States). By giving children their very own XO laptop with Internet access, OLPC is providing them a window to the outside world, access to vast amounts of information, a way to connect with each other and a springboard to a brighter future. The program is also helping these countries develop an essential resource—educated, empowered children.

With the XO laptop, children aren’t just learning about the world around them. They are actively learning about learning. Knowledge becomes a part of the journey instead of being simply the end goal. By discovering how to use their XO laptop in new ways and exploring new ideas, children are constantly engaged in a process of learning by doing. Those further along in their development who assist other children end up learning by teaching.

In all, the "Give One, Get One" promotion generated $35 million and a total of 167,000 XO laptops were sold. To learn more about OLPC, visit www.laptop.org.

Volunteer Spotlight
Fulfilling resolutions easy as A-B-C

It’s the New Year and many of us are making (and some of us are breaking) yearly resolutions. One resolution United Way hopes you keep is your commitment to giving back to the community, and we have a great new opportunity that will allow you to do just that.

Operation ABC is a region-wide collaboration aimed at getting more children to read at grade level by third grade. To do this, United Way is recruiting 1,000 volunteers to serve as reading tutors in first and second grade classrooms across Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. These individuals will play a critical role in helping children build their literacy skills through reading and other learning activities that augment current curriculums.

United Way spearheaded the initiative in response to the alarming number of children in our region who aren’t meeting MEAP standards in reading. In the tri-county area there are nearly 6,700 third graders who fall into this category. Studies have shown that third grade is a critical juncture in a child’s literacy development. Experts say that from kindergarten through third grade students learn how to read, and after that they read to learn. Children who are behind in third grade spend the following years continuing to learn how to read, rather than learning new material along with their classmates, and they are unlikely to catch up later in school. As a result, poor early literacy training often leads to problems later in life such as unemployment, poverty and criminal activity.

Keep your resolution to give back by becoming an Operation ABC tutor with United Way. As a volunteer tutor, you will participate in two training sessions and commit to serving one to five hours per week during the academic year at a school near your home or office. All volunteers must take a TB test, submit to background checks and receive an FBI clearance.

As an Operation ABC volunteer, you have an opportunity to make a life-long impact on the children you meet, which should make adding a few hours a week to a busy schedule seem well worth it. Sign up today, and help United Way give children in your community the educational tools needed to succeed.

Upcoming Events
Make it a King's Day on, not off

Martin Luther King Jr. sought to forge the common ground on which people from all walks of life could join together to address important human rights issues. On Jan. 21, millions of Americans will honor his legacy by taking part in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service - a wide range of community service projects including food drives, beautification projects, youth mentoring, and delivering meals to homebound neighbors.

You can help honor King’s memory by participating in one of these organized service projects in your area or volunteering at other service agencies throughout metro Detroit.

Volunteer one day or throughout year

If you're looking for opportunities to serve on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, click here, and browse a list of projects that have been registered with United Way for Southeastern Michigan. Or, click here to browse a list of service projects for the holiday that have registered with the Corporation for National and Community Service.

You don't have to wait for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service to volunteer. Visit www.uwsem.org/volunteer year-round to find local and individual group volunteer opportunities available.

The late Coretta Scott King embraced the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service as a meaningful way to celebrate and honor her husband's legacy.

"The greatest birthday gift my husband could receive is if people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds celebrated the holiday by performing individual acts of kindness through service to others," King said.

The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday was first celebrated in 1986. In the years since then the day of service was born and has gradually grown from a collection of small projects in various cities to a nationwide movement, all celebrating the life and teachings of one of America's great heroes. You can learn more about the national movement at www.mlkday.gov.

Get your organization involved

There are many opportunities for groups or organizations to make a difference during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. For example, your organization can:

• Sponsor and organize a single service project
• Sponsor and organize a variety of service projects
• Form teams to volunteer
• Encourage friends, colleagues and families to seek out service projects in their hometowns

By involving your organization in this "day on," you will help improve local communities, bridge social and cultural gaps, and honor King's memory. To learn more about how your organization can get involved, please call United Way for Southeastern Michigan's George W. Romney Volunteer Center at 313-226-9450.

Company Spotlight
Macy’s year-round campaign

The pledge cards, pens and balloons may have been packed away until next year, but it's never the wrong time to lift up and celebrate the positive work going on in the community made possible by your employees’ donations.

We know that finding ways to increase camaraderie and morale in the workplace is an ongoing challenge. Holding a year-round campaign has not only been proven to boost workplace morale, it also serves as a way to keep issues important to the health and safety of communities and their residents in front of employees. This constant reminder motivates staff members to do what they can to make a difference in the lives of those around them.

Starting a year-round campaign may sound daunting but, in fact, it is both easy and fun. The key to running a successful, ongoing campaign is finding innovative yet low-key ways to incorporate United Way into organizational team-building activities.

Macy’s is an excellent example of a company that has mastered the concept. The chain is a large employer that repeatedly hammers home the message about being a fun place to work. Macy’s includes nine area locations and about 2,800 employees, and the United Way message is integrated into their year-round events. Whether it’s a $5 hotdog lunch, a "coin war" between departments, or an employee garage sale, Macy’s campaign activities include opportunities for employees to bond, while learning more about the impact of their United Way contributions in the community. A recent campaign included a cookbook sale. The books were comprised of recipes submitted by team members, who also sold them. The proceeds were donated to United Way.

By hosting workplace events to benefit United Way throughout the year, anticipation for the start of the traditional campaign each fall is heightened considerably. Macy’s employees eagerly anticipate the September Torch Drive kickoff -- and it shows. Area stores raised well over $636,000 during the last three years.

For tips on year-round morale builders and fun fundraising activities, contact your United Way campaign representative. Not sure who that is? Call Ada Kelly, at 313-226-9200.

Tip of the Month
Year-round campaign launches

Welcome aboard
United Way for Southeastern Michigan is expanding into year-round fundraising and reaching out to a diverse array of partners to broaden the support base.

Not only are we working with area corporations, but local school districts, colleges, municipalities and health care institutions have stepped up to support our work by agreeing to get involved early in the year. To date, a total of 21 organizations will run spring campaigns, including five first-timers:

• Oak Park School District
• Henry Ford Community College
• Baker College - Clinton Township
• Clintondale Community School District
• Bartech Group

Campaign tips
No matter what time of year you start your campaign, one important thing to remember is to have fun -- lots of fun. One of the best ways to make the experience enjoyable is to participate in activities that will bring your team together, while getting them to focus on United Way and its work to improve lives and communities around them.

This month, try one of the following exercises:

Start a penny war between departments. Only pennies count, or can be added to the total. Any silver coins collected are subtracted from the total. Financial stability is one of three UWSEM impact areas. Saving and properly managing money is a major focus, and your staff's contributions make the work possible. Reward the department with the most points in the end with donuts or bagels, and coffee one morning.

Have a UWSEM representative come in to speak for 5 minutes at your next staff meeting. Your employees will be glad to learn what their contributions are doing in the community, and will appreciate having a speaker come in to talk about results without a solicitation.

In your next e-communication to staff, include a reference to the impact that employees' donations to United Way make in the community. Link it to the UWSEM Web page, so employees interested in learning more can access the information.

These simple, but effective, tips, will have your staff engaged before you know it. At the same time, you will be able to effectively demonstrate the importance of impacting the community through United Way and the degree to which workplace contributions are appreciated.