The Massachusetts Jumpstart Coalition unites and supports the state’s education community in integrating financial literacy into students’ school experience.
The challenge facing financial literacy education in Massachusetts is twofold: the complexity of accessing and understanding materials is high and, based on a breadth of competing demands, the capacity of educators is low. Massachusetts Jumpstart addresses these issues by:
- Partnering with curriculum providers and the national coalition to make it easy for teachers to find and evaluate the materials they need
- Providing training and grants to increase expertise and support innovation
- Creating communities for sharing experiences and supporting one another
- Recognizing and celebrating teachers’ hard work and courage in bringing personal finance education into the classroom
We also invite partners to join us in this mission – parents, students, administrators, corporations and other non-profits – by advocating for the inclusion of personal finance education in schools statewide.
We were founded as a 501(c)(3) organization in 2004, and are associated with the national Jump$tart Coalition, known for its clearinghouse of financial literacy resources, as well as its national standards for K-12 financial literacy education.
Financial Literacy Defined
The Massachusetts Jump$tart Coalition uses the national Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy®’s definition of financial literacy:
“the ability to use knowledge and skills to manage one’s financial resources effectively for lifetime financial security.”
We are also in agreement with the national coalition’s perspective that: “financial literacy is not an absolute state; but rather, a continuum of abilities that is subject to variables throughout the life cycle. It is an evolving state of competency that enables individuals to respond effectively to ever-changing personal and economic circumstances. Further, it matters less that a high school graduate can define financial terms and more that he or she can find answers and evaluate factors toward making sound financial decisions.”
Meet the Board
Larry Glazer, Board Chair
Larry Glazer is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Mayflower Advisors, a full service financial consulting and wealth management firm headquartered in Boston. Larry has been recognized by Worth Magazine as one of the Top 250 Wealth Advisors in the nation, received a five star award from Boston Magazine and was selected by UPromise as its national financial expert on 529 Plans for College Savings. Larry is a graduate of Duke University and has obtained the Accredited Asset Management Specialist (AAMS) designation, as well as Series 7, 63, and 65 security registrations. Parenthood was the catalyst for Larry to become a leader in the financial literacy movement. As the Chairman of the Board, Larry educates families, teachers and students on how to navigate today’s increasingly complex financial landscape.
Michael Holmes, President
A 25-year veteran of financial services, Mike has held executive positions in marketing at such leading companies as USAA, Wells Fargo, Wachovia and KeyBank. Upon returning to his home state after more than three decades away, Mike found the coalition to be a perfect opportunity to combine his financial services experience and his commitment to supporting youth. A graduate of Vanderbilt University, Mike is responsible for the strategy and day-to-day operations of the coalition, and building partnerships across the many great organizations supporting personal financial literacy across the state and nation.
Bryce Bell, Treasurer
Bryce is the Controller at 6 River Systems, a subsidiary of Shopify, Inc., with an accounting and finance background in high-growth tech companies, including Amazon.com. A graduate of Providence College for her undergraduate degree and Bentley University for her MBA, Bryce first became interested in financial literacy through participating in outreach programs at inner-city Providence, RI schools. Several middle and high schools invited local college students to present budgeting workshops to students with the objective of preparing them with practical tools to ensure their future success. This experience was eye-opening, and Bryce wanted to do more to address the shortcomings of financial literacy in her home state. She found MA Jump$tart to be the perfect avenue to accomplish this goal.
Declan Sheehy, Director
Declan J. Sheehy is currently Senior Advancement Officer at The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature. Previously he was Associate Director of Development at The Ringling. Prior to the Ringling he was Assistant Director Smith Fund at Smith College and Director, Development & Outreach at AIER and a founding partner in the successful Women’s Financial Empowerment series. He has been involved in the non-profit world for over 20+ years and has raised significant Euros and Dollars for a number of organizations. He has served on the board of Tanglewood Business Partners, Berkshares, co- founded the Women’s Financial Empowerment Series and was state president of the Massachusetts Jump$tart Coalition, currently President of Florida Jump$tart Coalition.
An enthusiastic veteran of the financial, non-profit, and events industry, following his degrees in Communications and Marketing from the Dublin Institute of Technology, Declan worked in Marketing and Public Relations for Ward Anderson Cinema Group. Arriving in America in the late 1980’s, he began a successful meeting and incentive travel career. At JourneyMasters, in Salem, MA, Declan established a successful Sales Promotion Department. Following JourneyMasters, Declan has been with boutique incentive houses including Marketing Horizons in Connecticut, where he served as Vice President.