Columbus Teacher Is Recognized by Visa and Receives the National "Innovative Educator" Award

Franklin Heights High School Teacher Selected for Bringing Creative Approach to Personal Finance Education in the Classroom

SAN FRANCISCO, June 6, 2007

Taking an "out of the box" approach to helping her students understand the basics of personal finance, Colleen Cunningham, a teacher at Franklin Heights High School, South-Western City School District, in Columbus, Ohio, today was recognized as the national "Innovative Educator" by Visa USA.

Seeing the impact that advertising can have on people's spending habits, Ms. Cunningham created an interactive lesson plan designed to help her students understand how advertising works so that they can make more informed buying decisions while learning how to stick to a budget. Additional details about Ms. Cunningham's project are available at Visa's Practical Money Skills for Life website at: www.practicalmoneyskills.com/innovative.

"Dynamic educators like Ms. Cunningham are on the front lines in the effort to make sure young people are financially literate," said Jason Alderman, director of Visa USA's financial education programs. "Ms. Cunningham is truly an innovative educator who shares Visa's commitment to ensuring that all children understand the importance of responsible money management."

"I am honored to have been recognized by Visa for helping bring personal finance education to my students," said Cunningham. "I appreciate all that Visa is doing by providing free personal finance teaching materials in Columbus. Leaning how to manage money wisely is a vital life skill that young people today desperately need."

The Innovative Educator award is handed out monthly to one teacher nationwide who demonstrates a commitment to bringing personal finance education into their classroom. The award is part of Visa's financial education program, Practical Money Skills for Life (www.practicalmoneyskills.com).

Practical Money Skills for Life is a free, award-winning, teacher-tested and teacher-approved financial education program that is available in English, Spanish and Chinese. The program is divided into three comprehensive sections, complete with money management resources and lesson plans tailored for use at home, in the classroom or at work. It also contains an array of tips to help prepare for life changing financial events, from planning a baby to saving for college and retirement, as well as a number of other budget calculators and interactive games.

Visa also runs What's My Score (www.whatsmyscore.org), a leading higher education consumer awareness program. The program guides college students through the ABC's of a FICO credit score, from factors that can lower a score to ways on improving it, at no charge.

About Visa USA
Visa USA is a leading payments brand and the nation's largest payments system, enabling banks to provide their consumer and business customers with a wide variety of payment alternatives tailored to meet their evolving needs. Visa USA is committed to increasing the choice, convenience, acceptance and security of Visa payments for all stakeholders - financial institutions, cardholders and merchants. In the United States, more than 521 million Visa-branded cards have been issued by our 13,320 financial institution customers.

Visa products generated nearly $1.8 trillion in total volume in the United States through March 2007 and enjoy unsurpassed acceptance around the globe. For more information, visit www.visa.com/media

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