Only 10% of youth graduate from high school with any kind of instruction in personal finance. Maybe that’s why students double their average credit card debt – and triple the number of credit cards in their wallets – from the time they arrive on campus until graduation.

The importance of financial education should be obvious. If the current recession doesn’t convince you consider that the Millennial Generation (born between 1978 and 2000) is the first generation in American history to inherit a nation in decline. This means is it almost impossible for you, as a generation, to be more financially successful than Baby Boomers, your parents’ generation. The White House is stepping in to do something about the problem!

With the goal of getting young Americans the financial education they need to help them take responsibility for their financial futures, the White House in December announced the National Financial Capability Challenge. The Challenge is an awards program for educators and high schools students that aims to encourage the teaching of personal finance.

The White House wants to get one million high school students to take the Challenge, which includes a voluntary online exam, by April 9, 2010. To make that happen, they need thousands of educators from across the country to register and get their students prepared. Two thousand educators have already signed up. It's a good start, but they have a long way to go… so they’re asking for your help!

Know teachers, librarians, youth groups and/or after school program staff that work with high school students age 13-19? Great! Get them to sign up for the Challenge at www.challenge.treas.gov by March 14.

How do you convince them? Tell them about all the cool stuff participants get:

• access to a free online educators toolkit,
• personalized awards certificates, and
• educators in states with the highest participation rates will earn special distinction!!!

But more important, their students will benefit from the skills they can gain from financial education!