YORK – Auditor General Timothy L. DeFoor today marked the start of Financial Literacy Month with a visit to the Junior Achievement BizTown program in York, which teaches young Pennsylvanians how to improve their money management skills.
“Learning about financial literacy is a lot like taking swimming lessons,” DeFoor said. “It’s smart to know how to keep yourself afloat before diving into adulthood.”
Junior Achievement BizTown combines classroom learning with a day-long visit to a simulated town, allowing fifth and sixth grade students to write checks, run a bank, manage a restaurant, and vote for mayor. The program helps students connect what they learn in school to navigating everyday life.
“Understanding how to ‘Be Money Smart’ is a major key to achieving future financial success,” DeFoor said. “People who understand finances also care about how the government spends their tax dollars, and our department’s audits ensure there is accountability for that spending.”
As Pennsylvania’s top taxpayer advocate, DeFoor has made improving financial literacy a key goal of his administration. He launched the Be Money Smart initiative in late 2021 to emphasize the need for financial literacy and highlight resources people can use to strengthen their personal financial security.
Later in April, DeFoor plans to visit the University of Pittsburgh and PA State System of Higher Education campuses including Slippery Rock, Indiana and California. He also plans to meet with students participating in the State YMCA of Pennsylvania Youth and Government program and visit a financial literacy class sponsored by New Hope Ministries in Mechanicsburg.
On April 22, the Auditor General will join Harrisburg University leaders to announce the winners of a statewide financial literacy essay contest for students.
Learn more about the Department of the Auditor General online at www.PaAuditor.gov.
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