Two New National Publications Cite SparkPoint at Skyline College: The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Administration for Children and Families Promote Financial Capability.
SparkPoint at Skyline College is a financial education and coaching center that improves college connection and completion by mitigating economic disparities. Students and other members of the community use SPSC services and resources to strengthen their financial capability and further their economic and educational goals. Now in its fifth year, this partnership with United Way of the Bay Area represents the work of our college and community to break the cycle of family income predicting college connection and completion. Our commitment to equity and inclusion and our resolve to strengthen our effectiveness motivate SparkPoint at Skyline College to excel at disrupting entrenched disparities. Our work is being noticed!
The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston has released a new publication titled, Promoting Pathways to Financial Stability: A Resource Handbook on Building Financial Capability which can be found at: http://www.bostonfed.org/education/financial-capabilities/handbook. To showcase the new publication, MDC will host an upcoming webinar titled: The Boston Federal Reserve: Helping Community College Students Achieve Financial Stability on April 9, 2015 at 2:00 PM EDT. Sarah Savage from the Boston Federal Reserve will present the Fed’s recent report: Promoting Pathways to Financial Stability: A Resource Handbook on Building Financial Capabilities of Community College Students. Dr. Savage is Community Affairs Manager at the Boston Federal Reserve. To register for this webinar, please go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5292754672431880450.
The United States Department of Education hosted a Roundtable this past March in Washington, D.C., which featured the Boston Fed’s launch of the publication. In addition to Skyline College President, Dr. Regina Stanback Stroud, and SparkPoint Director, Dr. William Watson, representatives from organizations included: Achieving the Dream, American Association of Community Colleges, Aspen Institute, Association of Community College Trustees, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Guardian Life Insurance Company, U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Treasury, and others.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Administration for Children and Families, in partnership with the Corporation for Enterprise Development references SparkPoint at Skyline College as an example of a strong financial capability partnership representing a diverse array of organizations. Building Financial Capability: A Planning Guide for Integrated Services is an interactive guide for community-based organizations interested in integrating financial capability services into existing programs (e.g. housing, job training, or Head Start). To see the planning guide, please visit: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/resource/afi-resource-guide-building-financial-capability
For more information about SparkPoint at Skyline College please visit our website at www.skylinecollege.edu/sparkpoint or contact the director of SparkPoint at Skyline College, Dr. William Watson, at william.watson@smccd.edu or call 650-738-7035.
Article by Dr. William Watson
