Last Updated on May 31, 2023
OneAmerica has announced a $1 million commitment to activate a uniquely tailored financial literacy program in Central Indiana. In collaboration with The American College of Financial Services, the program will offer practical financial understanding to build a personal relationship with finance and drive economic empowerment, with a focus on narrowing the racial wealth gap.
The innovative program, to be funded over a five-year period, is a state-of-the-art education and empowerment experience that teaches important personal finance concepts. Utilizing The American College of Financial Services' e-learning design and delivery philosophy and building upon The College's financial wellness curriculum originally created for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the Indiana program will develop into a more regional model. The OneAmerica investment will now help deliver the program to education institutions and nonprofits in Central Indiana.
OneAmerica, The American College, Martin University, Ivy Tech Community College and other nonprofit organizations, including the Indianapolis Urban League, will collaborate to deliver the educational opportunity to the Central Indiana community beginning in August 2022.
“Building on the enthusiasm we have seen with our OneAmerica Pathways students to delve deeper into understanding personal finance, we view this program as an opportunity to provide an important financial education resource – one that can establish a foundation for economic empowerment and wealth building…OneAmerica has an absolute commitment to impacts and outcomes and we're eager to work with local nonprofit organizations to deliver a program that creates a readily available path to financial education in Central Indiana.”
OneAmerica Chairman, President and CEO Scott Davison
Developed by The American College, the research-based program is designed to meet people where they are, allow for self-pacing and progression with learning modules, and provide the tools and confidence to develop strong financial habits. Already working with Martin University and Ivy Tech to tailor the program, the content will continue to evolve to meet the specific needs and interests of Central Indiana residents.
“Financial wellness is a personal journey. The College promised to build upon the success of our program in HBCUs with the right partners committed to impact and outcomes in their communities…OneAmerica has demonstrated not only their commitment to critical thinking, but more importantly to activating significant opportunities which open doors with real world application. Additional partners translate to deeper impact on narrowing the racial wealth gap through financial wellbeing education and empowerment. This is a very promising next step.”
The American College President and CEO, George Nichols III
The program will be provided without cost to the participants.
Dr. Sean L. Huddleston, Martin University president, and Leon Jackson, Ph.D., chancellor of Marian University's Saint Joseph's College, as well as several other community organizations joined Davison and Nichols for the announcement.
“This is an amazing step to being able to create generational wealth with the communities that deserve it the most…We've got a course that's part of our core curriculum called Student Success. We also want to make sure that our alums have an opportunity to take advantage of this partnership and the information.”
Dr. Sean L. Huddleston, Martin University President
“St. Joseph's College employs an ‘Earn and Learn' model, where each student is both working and pursing an associate degree. This program will serve as a supplement to our personal finance course, which is a required class at St. Joseph's, as it is at all Marian Campuses…This ‘Earn and Learn' model employed by St. Joseph's College allows students to earn a wage that removes the necessity of student loans, so that they might realize a future that is not weighed down by student debt. This partnership goes a long way to support our efforts.”
Leon Jackson, Ph.D., chancellor of Marian University's Saint Joseph's College
Davison has been at the forefront of significant local and national efforts to improve opportunities for underserved communities. Today's announcement comes on the heels of the recent commitment of the American Council for Life Insurers (ACLI) to Impact Investing to expand affordable housing, utilizing their substantial capital assets for long-term bonds and investments. OneAmerica is also nearing the start of its fourth year for its award-winning Pathways Program, introducing high school students from select Indianapolis ZIP codes to the work of financial services and career opportunities. As a board member for the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, Davison is also engaged as a committee chairman for Business Equity Indianapolis (BEI), meeting with local African American businesses and community organizations to drive better business outcomes.
Nichols and Davison have collaborated to activate additional opportunities to Black and brown communities. While Davison served as chairman of The College's Board of Trustees, he helped support several new initiatives of the American College, including the launch of a Center of Economic Empowerment and the growth of the Conference for African American Financial Professionals.
Nichols remains a respected and sought-after voice in the financial services community, as a 30-year industry veteran and an outspoken driver for economic equality throughout his career, and more recently with The American College's recent initiatives and innovations.
About OneAmerica
A national provider of insurance and financial services for more than 140 years, the companies of OneAmerica help customers build and protect their financial futures. OneAmerica offers a variety of products and services to serve the financial needs of their policyholders and customers. These products include retirement plan products and recordkeeping services, individual life insurance, annuities, asset-based long-term care solutions and employee benefit plan products. Products are issued and underwritten by the companies of OneAmerica and distributed through a nationwide network of employees, agents, brokers and other sources who are committed to providing value to our customers. To learn more about their products, services and the companies of OneAmerica, visit their website.
About The American College of Financial Services
The American College of Financial Services was founded in 1927 and is the nation's largest nonprofit educational institution devoted to financial services. Holding the highest level of academic accreditation, The College has educated one in five financial advisors across the United States and offers two graduate degree programs, along with prestigious financial planning designations such as the Retirement Income Certified Professional® (RICP®), Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®), Wealth Management Certified Professional® (WMCP®), Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® (CAP®), Chartered Special Needs Consultant® (ChSNC®), Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®), and education leading to the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) certification. The College's faculty represents some of the foremost thought leaders in the financial services profession. Visit TheAmericanCollege.edu.
SOURCE: OneAmerica
