Princeton, NJ – Further advancing its mission to enhance personal financial education in Mercer County, The Mercadien Foundation announces the official launch of its new Money$peak initiative.

Money$peak is an extracurricular, competitive program for the county’s high school students that encourages them to develop creative and innovative presentations that show deep understanding of key personal finance concepts.  Developed in conjunction with co-sponsor Rider University, the program melds students’ personal finance curriculum, a 2.5-credit course required for graduation by the NJ Department of Education since 2009, with their present situations and interests.  It is designed to advance not only their grasp of everyday financial issues, a deficiency in which was identified by educators in a survey and roundtable discussions hosted by The Mercadien Foundation in 2013, but also their transition to independent and financially-competent consumers.

With anticipated participation from many Mercer County high school students, the first intra-school Money$peak competitions will take place in fall 2014 and spring 2015. Following that, winning teams of students will compete in a county-wide contest, hosted by Rider University and judged by a panel of personal finance professionals. Students will receive prizes, award certificates and significant experience, showcasing their talents, presentation skills and financial knowledge, to note on college and personal resumes.

Mr. Christopher Seiz, Executive Director of The Mercadien Foundation, stated, “While the 2009 curriculum standards began to change the conversation surrounding personal finance education, students continue to need information that relates to their lives and to be able to connect to it in their own language. We are pleased to lead efforts and provide solutions that improve students’ financial literacy, meet the needs of educators and administrators, and benefit Mercer County.”

The Mercadien Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to create philanthropic and innovative programs to benefit the Mercer County community and New Jersey. In honor of The Mercadien Group’s 50th anniversary, it launched the financial literacy initiative.

The Mercadien Group is a family of distinct companies created to serve the diverse and sophisticated needs of clients in a capacity far greater than any single organization can offer. The group is comprised of six individual companies providing accounting, auditing, tax planning and compliance, management consulting, technology, wealth management, outsourcing, and investment banking services. The Mercadien Group is a group of trusted advisors working in one place, sharing a broad knowledge base and creating seamless solutions to meet clients’ personal and business objectives. Learn more at Mercadien.com.