UT Extension Honored with Two Awards by National Financial Program

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Two Programs Honored for Promoting Savings Strategies

University of Tennessee Extension has earned two 2024 America Saves Savings Champion awards, an honor explicitly reserved for organizations who effectively and actively promote saving strategies during the annual America Saves Week campaign.

UT Extension Family and Consumer Sciences Department and UT Extension—Henderson County are two of 18 organizations honored with this distinction out of more than 4,600 organizations participating in America Saves Week, which took place April 8 – 12, 2024, as part of Financial Capability Month.

The award-winning UT Extension Family and Consumer Sciences social media campaign included a series of videos and graphics highlighting the five main themes of America Saves Week 2024: Saving Automatically, Saving for the Unexpected, Saving for Major Milestones, Paying Down Debt is Saving and Saving at Any Age.

During the one-week timeframe, UT Extension, along with other institutions across the country, helped to encourage nearly $354 million worth of deposits into new and existing accounts. Additionally, 231,000 new accounts were opened and 64,000 individuals increased their automatic saving transfers or deposits into existing savings accounts.

Chris Sneed discussing America Saves Week with money saving tips
UT Extension Consumer Sciences Specialist Christopher Sneed (shown) headed the University’s efforts to promote America Saves Week. Haley Harbin (not pictured), of the UTIA Marketing and Communications Department, spearheaded the award-winning social media posts. Photo by H. Harbin, courtesy UTIA.

The full list of winners can be viewed at AmericaSavesWeek.org.

The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch, and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.

America Saves is a campaign coordinated by the nonprofit Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and is dedicated to empowering all, particularly those who are financially vulnerable, to build financial confidence through effective saving, debt reduction, and wealth building strategies. Learn more at americasaves.org and americasavesweek.org.

Media Contact

Lauren Lawson

UTIA Marketing and Communications