The Center for Neighborhood Enterprise is piloting the use of social media for outreach and delivery of the CNE/HSBC financial literacy training. Working with its grassroots community partner organizations, CNE has set a goal of launching 20 adult financial literacy workshops in 2010 using social media as the newest educational platform.

Two of CNE’s community partner organizations already have hosted unique workshops utilizing different social media venues. The Buffalo Weed and Seed site created a three-part video of the Your Money Counts training workshop “Borrowing Basics,” and posted it on YouTube. The Judah International Christian Center in Brooklyn, NY live-streamed the “Managing Your Money” training workshop, with three different groups throughout the city participating. The interactive session allowed participants to ask questions by text, phone, and email and receive answers as they watched from remote locations. Both groups used Facebook, Twitter, emails, and their websites to promote the training. Participants were given an evaluation link to complete the program’s online survey.

The goal for the overall 2010 CNE/HSBC financial literacy program is 120 events–100 in traditional face-to-face meetings and 20 online—reaching 4,000 low and moderate-income ($40,000 or less) adults this year. CNE assists its community partners in developing their presentations, and provides training, direction, and guidance.

From 2006 through 2009, the CNE/HSBC program provided financial literacy training to 22,484 low and moderate income adults.