PNC funds financial program for Valley preschool children

By William K. Alcorn

alcorn@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Two local organizations have received $67,000 of the $5 million awarded through the PNC Foundation’s Grow Up Great program.

The PNC Foundation’s grant to Junior Achievement of Mahoning Valley and the YMCA of Youngstown will be used for financial- education programs to preschool children in Mahoning and Trumbull counties.

The grant expands PNC’s efforts in early-childhood education and makes possible a new program through which Junior Achievement will conduct interactive activities to help 1,500 preschool children in 66 classrooms understand the concept of money, needs versus wants, investing and saving strategies, the company said.

Specifically, JA and the YMCA will host 10 Family Financial Fair Workshops for local preschoolers, caregivers and families at the YMCA and schools.

The program will begin early in 2012, said Tim Hilk, YMCA executive director.

Participants in the program will receive “For You, For Me, For Later” bilingual multimedia activity kits created by Sesame Workshop that will help young children understand basic financial concepts such as saving, spending and sharing.

The $5 million in grants was part of PNC’s pledge of a $250 million extension over an additional 10 years of its PNC Grow Up Great programs.