As we wind down another school year and prepare for the summer, I’m reminded of the importance of mentoring and providing guidance to girls in all areas of life, especially financial literacy.  I feel encouraged to research and find information that is vital to the resources and images our girls and teen daughters receive and how they really feel about themselves and their financial future.

The recession is hard.  It is hard on parents and it is even harder on kids.  It’s a critical time and our girls need to be pointed in the right direction.

Parents may be struggling and may feel out of control, but at least they have some knowledge of their financial situation, some understanding of why all of this is happening. The kids are often left in the dark, with no explanation, confused and wondering why their family can’t afford the things that they want, the things that they need.

We have a responsibility to our children, to help them understand what is happening, to help them be more financially astute than our generation was, to get them on a better path.

Fortunately, there is a resource to help do this.  Girls, Inc of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area., a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation, has created “Money Talks”, a financial literacy workshop that supplies girls with fun and engaging financial tools.

There will be a free "Money Talks" workshop in Washington, D.C. on June 27th from 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. for girls age 10-15 and their parent/guardian.  The workshop is open to the public, with priority given to residents in Wards 1,5 and 7.  Registration is required.  To register or for more information, please contact Maryan at 202-806-1174 or maryan@girlsincdc.org by June 19th.

Please share this widely with your daughter, your sister, or any female youth in your family so that she can understand her true worth and be on her way to financial stability!

Monica Byrd has been a volunteer with Girls’, Inc. for the past two years.  In her professional life, she is a fashion and style professional.