By Katie Logisz
January 10, 2005

At the United States Conference of Mayors 2004 Winter Meeting in Washington (DC), Platinum Partner Nationwide Retirement Solutions announced the launch of a financial literacy program targeted at elementary school children. The program, officially launched on April 22's Take a Child to Work Day, utilized the classic fairy tale The Three Little Pigs to highlight the importance of spending, sharing, and saving to children. Mayors across the country joined in reading a new story, The Three Little Pigs: A Financial Fairy Tale, to children in their offices and schools. Nearly a year after the announcement and eight months after the official launch, The Three Little Pigs are still spreading their message of the importance of fiscal responsibility and financial literacy and education to children in our nation's cities.

On December 10, 2004, Sugar Land (tx) Mayor David Wallace participated in the program by reading The Three Little Pigs to third grade students at Colony Meadows Elementary in the Fort Bend Independent School District. Two groups of students, totaling approximately 115 third graders, listened to the story of the three pigs. Wallace explained to the students that "the smart pig saved his money and invested it wisely. In our community we can save dollars to help others." Each student also received a copy of the The Three Little Pigs: A Financial Fairy Tale, puzzles, and a piggy bank.

Wallace's reading at Colony Meadows Elementary is one more example of the joint efforts of Nationwide Retirement Solutions and the Conference of Mayors to increase and promote financial literacy for all citizens of our nation's cities. Information on this program, as well as a variety of online exercises and lessons for children, can be found at www.nationwidekids.com. For more information on the USCM/NRS Deferred Compensation program, contact Katie Logisz with the Conference at 202-861-6739 or send email to klogisz@usmayors.org.