FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nicole Pelletier Holt (207) 221-3663, nholt@FinancialLit.org

Institute for Financial Literacy announces 2009 Maine Teachers Take FLITE graduates 
42 Maine K-12 teachers become Certified Educators in Personal Finance ®

PORTLAND, Maine (December 4, 2009) – The Institute for Financial Literacy is pleased to announce that 42 Maine teachers have been certified in the 2009 class of Maine Teachers Take FLITE (Financial Literacy Instructional Techniques for Educators), a training program for K-12 teachers.

“The teachers who completed the 2009 session of Maine Teachers Take FLITE worked proactively to gain the knowledge they need to effectively teach financial literacy concepts in their classrooms,” said Leslie Linfield, Executive Director & Founder of the Institute for Financial Literacy. “These teachers have shown remarkable dedication to their communities by working to ensure that their students have a solid foundation for making smart financial decisions throughout their lives.”

The 2009 certified FLITE teachers are:
Raelene Allen, Madison High School
Robert Alley, Jonesport Elementary School
Jean Ambrose, Hall-Dale High School
Linda Anderson, Georges Valley High School & Mid-coast School of Technology
Anne Archambault, Maranacook Community High School
Sandra Bailey-Bowen, Old Town High School
Amanda Boyce, Winthrop High School
Carlo Bufano, Jobs for Maine’s Graduates
Diana Butler, Houlton High School
Laurie Caron, Teague Park Elementary School & Hilltop Elementary School
Ian Craven, Bucksport Middle School
Gordon A. Crosby, Poland Regional High School
Linda Davis, Jay High School
Catherine Demchur-Merry, Poland Regional High School
Cardine Emmerson, Maranacook Community High School
Kristy Ferran, Gardiner Area High School
Jim Ford, Oak Hill High School
Charlotte Gardner, Noble Middle School
Bob Goddard, Brunswick High School
Charles Green, Bonny Eagle High School
Darren Hartley, Lewiston Regional Technical Center
Janet Hodgins, Sylvio J. Gilbert Elementary
Andrea Itkin, The Community School, Passages Program
Tracy Johnson, Gardiner Area High School
Karen Kantolak, Lafayette Elementary School
Stephanie Knight, Falmouth Middle School
Darlene Korhonen, Houlton Junior/Senior High School
Patricia Morris, Maranacook Community High School
C. Maria Morris, Morse High School
Christine Munroe, South Portland High School & Memorial Middle School
Jessica Norton, Gardiner Area High School
Kip Plaisted, Penobscot Valley High School
Cynthia Paradis, Jay High School
Chad Poland, Piscataquis Community High School
Debra Primmerman, Cornville Elementary School
Robin Reinhold, Brown Elementary School
Leslie Romanow-Jordan, Biddeford Intermediate School
Marcia Steenstra, Georges Valley High School
Cynthia Streznewski, Maranacook Community High School
Glenn Tracey, Greely High School
Mary Trigge, York High School
Amanda Walker, Georges Valley High School

A program of the Institute for Financial Literacy, Maine Teachers Take FLITE enrolls teachers in the Certified Educator in Personal Finance® program, a professional certification and training program developed to improve the knowledge and expertise of financial literacy educators. FLITE focuses on teachers’ professional development and increasing their confidence in their own ability to teach students about personal finance. This approach provides teachers with the tools they need to teach financial literacy effectively in the classroom. The 2009 FLITE class was funded through donations from individuals and grants from the Maine State Treasurer’s Council on Financial Education and the Stephen & Tabitha King Foundation.

The Institute for Financial Literacy is a non-profit financial literacy organization. The Institute’s mission is to make effective financial literacy education available for all American adults. The Institute accomplishes its mission by developing financial literacy education materials, publishing the National Standards in Adult Financial Literacy Education, maintaining the Library of Personal Finance and providing professional development and training through the Center for Financial Certifications. For more information about the Institute and its programs, please contact 207-221-3663 or visit www.FinancialLit.org. 

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