News Releases

BMO HARRIS BANK EMPOWERS MILWAUKEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENTS
Innovative Web- and Metric-based Financial Literacy Program
Builds On Needed Community Efforts

Milwaukee, WI (April 18, 2013) – In celebration of Financial Literacy Month, BMO Harris Bank announced today the launch of The BMO Harris Bank Financial Fluency For Students Program, a new initiative to bring critical financial literacy education to high school students across the Milwaukee Public School District. BMO Harris Bank has partnered with EverFi, Inc., the nation's leading education technology company, to bring this interactive, web-based financial management program to all high school students at no cost to the schools or taxpayers. The sponsorship also provides all high schools with unlimited access to the financial literacy curriculum.

Today, BMO Harris Bank also recognized 60 students at Milwaukee School of Languages who have already earned their certification. Twenty schools are now using the program in Milwaukee Public School District, and they will cumulative ly certify over 2,000 students this year. Additionally, BMO Harris Bank is providing parents, district administrators, and teachers with access to a two-hour online adult financial literacy resource.

"BMO Harris Bank's sponsorship of this initiative further demonstrates the bank's investment in local communities and its commitment to ensuring Milwaukee's students have an engaging learning platform to improve their financial literacy," said Kara Kaiser, Regional President, BMO Harris Bank. "The earlier you begin teaching kids how to make money make sense, the easier it becomes for them to build strong and healthy habits on savings, spending and ensuring a strong financial future."

Powered by EverFi technology, the web-based learning high school platform uses the latest in new media technologies – video, animations, 3-D gaming, avatars, and social networking – to bring complex financial concepts to life for today's digital generation. High school students will become certified in over 600 topics in financial education, allowing them to become more informed, responsible citizens.

"Financial literacy is a 21st Century skill," said Dr. Gregory Thornton, Superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools. "Knowledge of credit cards, interest rates, savings, mortgages and other topics is required to be college and career ready. Often, today's students leave school inadequately prepared in these topics. BMO Harris Bank's sponsorship of this program ensures Milwaukee Public School students will be prepared to make better financial decisions."

The 10-unit course offers 6-8 hours of programming aimed at teaching, assessing and certifying students in a variety of financial topics including credit scores, insurance, credit cards, student loans, mortgages, taxes, stocks, savings, 401k's and other critical concepts that map to national financial literacy standards. The learning platform tracks knowledge gain as well as students' at titudes and behaviors on these important issues. Students who successfully complete the course receive certification in Financial Literacy, a valuable mark of distinction on college applications and resumes.

About BMO Harris Bank
BMO Harris Bank provides a broad range of personal banking products and solutions through over 600 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Nevada, Arizona and Florida.  BMO Harris Bank's commercial banking team provides a combination of sector expertise, local knowledge and mid-market focus throughout the U.S.  For more information about BMO Harris Bank, go to the company fact sheet.  Deposit and loan products and services provided by BMO Harris Bank N.A. Member FDIC. BMO Harris BankSM is a trade name used by BMO Harris Bank N.A. BMO Harris Bank is part of BMO Financial Group, a North American financial organization with approximately 1,600 branches, and $542 billion in assets (as of Jan. 31, 2013).

About EverFi
EverFi, Inc. is the leading education technology company focused on teaching, assessing, and certifying K-12 and college students in the critical skills they need for life. The company teams with major corporations and foundations to provide the programs at no cost to K-12 schools. Some of America's leading CEOs and venture capital firms are EverFi investors including Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, Twitter founder Evan Williams, Rethink Education, New Enterprise Associates, Inc. (NEA), and Tomorrow Ventures (the investment arm of Google Chairman Eric Schmidt).  Learn more at www.everfi.com.

About Milwaukee Public School District
Milwaukee Public Schools is Wisconsin's largest school district, se rving more than 78,000 students in more than 160 schools across the city. U.S. News and World Report named MPS' Rufus King International School and Ronald Wilson Reagan College Preparatory High School the two best high schools in the state and among the 200 best in the country in 2012. In the past year, Milwaukee Public Schools posted a growing graduation rate 14 points higher than the rate for 2000. More MPS news is available at http://mpsmke.com/news.