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New partnership will bring lessons in dignity and financial literacy to 5,000 students nationwide


(LOS ANGELES) March 2, 2010 — Financial literacy and empowerment nonprofit Operation HOPE (HOPE) announces the largest concentration of support for the FIVE MILLION KIDS Initiative (5MK) with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC). PwC, one of the world's largest professional services firms, is committing 525 intern volunteers and making a $50,000 donation to improve youth education and financial literacy. Support for education initiatives is part of PwC's strategic corporate responsibility commitment.

Launching in Charlotte, North Carolina on March 1st, the program will crisscross America over the next two weeks. 5MK empowers youth, teachers, and parents with tools to take control of their financial future. The initiative makes education more relevant to students through practical lessons in the "language of money," and ultimately to help curb the soaring high school drop-out rates.

"PwC is committed to taking a leadership role in developing the next generation of leaders who will ensure a sustainable marketplace," said Shannon Schuyler, corporate responsibility leader, PricewaterhouseCoopers. "We believe the core to that effort is a focus on math proficiency and financial literacy. Our involvement with Operation HOPE provides our interns a unique opportunity to impact students across the US with life-lasting skills and experience the satisfaction of making a difference in the life of a child."

The pledge of support brings committed time, resources, volunteers, financial support and HOPE to thousands of youth. Embracing their mission of corporate responsibility, 525 high performing PwC interns will go into classrooms and teach the Banking on Our Future (BOOF) financial literacy curriculum.

The partnership supports a massive effort which involves 5,000 students to receive lessons in financial empowerment from March 1st-15th, 2010. The "BOOF In A Day" sessions will be taught by PwC interns in 18 cities nationwide, including Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Jose and Washington, DC.

Banking on Our Future is Operation HOPE's award-winning program that has educated over 450,000 students globally since its inception in 1996. The BOOF curriculum, which will be taught by Operation HOPE-trained PwC interns, includes: A Course in Dignity, The Basics of Banking, Checking & Savings Accounts, Credit and Investments.

"Operation HOPE designed the 5MK Initiative to empower youth, teachers, and parents with tools to take control of their financial futures. As the saying goes, ‘it takes a village to raise a child.' We are hoping to create that village of support and subsequently break the back of the high school dropout rate, through our 5MK Initiative," said HOPE Founder, Chairman and CEO John Hope Bryant. "The next two weeks will build upon the success of our program launch last September."

About PwC
PricewaterhouseCoopers provides industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to build public trust and enhance value for its clients and their stakeholders. More than 163,000 people in 151 countries across our network share their thinking, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice.
"PricewaterhouseCoopers" refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP or, as the context requires, the PricewaterhouseCoopers global network or other member firms of the network, each of which is a separate and independent legal entity.

About Operation HOPE, Inc.
Operation HOPE is America's leading nonprofit social investment banking and financial literacy empowerment organization. With more than 400 private sector partners, 1500 nonprofit organizations and schools, and 100 government partners in 69 major U.S. cities as well as South Africa, HOPE has raised more than $500 million in its pursuit of educating, assisting and inspiring the next generation of global stakeholders. Through international initiatives and its three principal programs, Banking on Our Future (teaching school children about money), HOPE Coalition America (Mortgage HOPE Crisis Hotline, 1-888-388-HOPE, financial emergency preparedness and disaster relief), and Walk-In HOPE Centers (loans, computer literacy, understanding banking principles), Operation HOPE has delivered services to more than one million low-wealth individuals and assumed the responsibility of piloting the Silver Rights Movement towards making free enterprise and capitalism relevant to all underserve d communities. To learn more about HOPE, visit www.operationhope.org. or read our blog at www.operationhope.org/blog

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